Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - Kitchen & Wife Problem

Kitchen Problem
I have an area about 4' x 6' recessed about 6" in my kitchen ceiling that had fluorescent lighting w/plastic sheets to defuse the lighting. We are remodeling and my wife said the tubes and plastic must go. any ideas on what type of lighting I might replace it with?

Jay

I believe fluorescents are code in kitchens in many parts of the country. Maybe that's just new construction, though.
But anyway, they make some pretty attractive surface mounted fluorescents these days.

Is her objection to the aesthetics of the diffusers, or the cast of the lights, or both? If the color, If you have not tried it yet, first thing I would try is using "kitchen and bath" color balance fluorescent bulbs and see if that changes her opinion.

If not, the most "natural" lights I've seen are "Solux" products, but they are expensive and energy-inefficient:

http://www.solux.net/cgi-bin/tlistore/infopages/home-office.html

I believe fluorescents are code in kitchens in many parts of the country. Maybe that's just new construction, though.

Typical requirements for new construction and remodels in places like CA are 1) 50% of kitchen lighting wattage shall be high efficacy luminaries 2) HELs must be a "pin-base" (not screw-in type "Edison base") if fluorescent and 3) Incandescent and fluorescent lighting must be on separate switches.

Gawd... I'm glad I don't live in California any longer... that's totally ridiculous!!!

I saw a tv episode where a similar fixture was removed, the recess covered with drywall, and a chandelier was installed.

Depending on the shape of the kitchen - you might have the makings of a tray ceiling there with a chandalier fixture hanging from it...