Options for replacing track lighting in kitchen?

Candace Gates
by Candace Gates

Currently my kitchen does not have enough lighting. I have a centrally located track lighting, with three lamps. One can light above sink area. The light from the range exhaust, and the light from a ceiling fan over the dining room table. Currently to do anything in the kitchen I have to turn all these lights on once the sun starts to set. I plan to replace the over sink can light to some sort of drop down lighting fixture, but this won't help the over all kitchen lighting. I'm looking for ideas to replace the track lighting, one because I don't care for its looks and second it doesn't do much for the overall room lighting.

  20 answers
  • Unexpected Elegance Unexpected Elegance on Jul 26, 2020

    A chandelier with multiple lights might look nice. Here's what I have over our island and it does put out a lot of light: https://www.unexpectedelegance.com/kitchen-makeover-reveal/

  • Nan W. Nan W. on Jul 26, 2020

    Hi! You may need a track with more lights... 5 or 6, instead of three. Also, you can put lighting above and below your cabinets. I "installed" this above-cabinet lighting myself... just using a staple gun... and filament tape. You could do the same with under cabinet lighting! Here's what I used: (see photo of my kitchen)


    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07535KHNZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    • Candace Gates Candace Gates on Jul 28, 2020

      I like the above cabinet lighting. You did a great job. I'm just trying to eliminate the track light completely though. I will be looking into top and bottom cabinet lighting , thank you.

  • Oliva Oliva on Jul 26, 2020

    Unless you can add more can lights into your ceiling, you may want to change out your ceiling fan to one with multiple LED lighting on a dimmer. 3000 Kelvin should add much more lighting for you.

    Costco sells a flush mount LED light with numerous LEDs which would brighten the area occupied by the track lights.

    If your can lights are not halogen, you may want to add high intensity LED bulbs, good for ceiling mount/enclosed spaces, and add dimmer switches.

    Your range exhaust light should be a halogen, but if not, try halogen or higher wattage/higher lumens LED bulb.

    If space/outlets exist, you could always add sconce lighting.

  • Janice Janice on Jul 26, 2020

    Do you have LED lights installed in all your fixtures? If not, that's the first change I suggest you make. They are amazingly bright and clear.

  • 17335038 17335038 on Jul 26, 2020

    A note about range hood lighting:

    New range hoods are now sold with LED lights, either integrated LED or bulbs. They do not give off nearly as much heat as halogen bulbs, the bulbs are much longer lasting, and if you do need or want to change the bulbs they are readily available now to purchase. Many stores no longer even sell halogen bulbs.

  • Lifestyles Homes Lifestyles Homes on Jul 26, 2020

    Since it’s a vaulted ceiling, can lights are going to be expensive, since there’s no attic access & they have to be IC Rated.


    The cheapest thing to do is buy a really long track, in a brand that has pretty pendant lights.

    The 2nd cheapest thing to do is get an electrician and where the electrical comes out of the ceiling, put in a ceiling fan box that is also the junction box for two sets of track.

    The ceiling fan’s lights will be controlled by its remote and you want have to wire a second light switch.

    The two tracks that “y” off of the central ceiling fan box, can have pendant lights as well as track lights.

  • 17335038 17335038 on Jul 26, 2020

    Hi Candace,


    I agree that the lighting in your kitchen is inadequate and insufficient, and I understand your frustration with not having any adaptability to turn on only selected areas as required by different times of the day and seasons.


    Go with the new slim LED integrated LED ceiling mounted lights that are dimmable. (pictures below) There are different brands of these 'puck lights' available, and they vary somewhat as to the design of the mounting clips. As these do not give off any heat, they do not require the insulation and robust housings or the access heights that the old can or pot lights did.


    Put all these ceiling puck lights on a dimmer switch separate from the ceiling fan light. This will enable you to have either the fan light on or just the fan on without all the rest of the lights on at the same time. You will need a dimmer switch that is rated for LED lights (not all of them are).


    I would not put a drop fixture over the sink. I would put the same slim LED light in this place. It will give cleaner airier lines to the room, be easier to keep clean, and will have light that shines a wider circumference over the sink area.


    This plan will require going up into the attic and installing new wiring, but IMO it will result in the best possible solution to the dilemma. The labour will be not be cheap, however it will be only the one time that you pay to have lighting that is comprehensive, shadow-free, long lasting, easy to keep clean, and inexpensive to operate for many years to come.


    The labour required for installing additional wiring and junction boxes in LIfestylehomes scenario will also be costly. The difference though, is that in the end you will still be stuck still mucking around with the old track lighting that comes loose, is a pain to clean, and is hard to get the angles of the light shining on where exactly in the kitchen you need it.

    • See 1 previous
    • 17335038 17335038 on Jul 29, 2020

      If you are planning to keep residing in the same home for years to come, I would highly recommend going this route, especially considering that our eyes require 60%+ brighter light as we age.

  • We have hi hats...or can lighting and we have LED bulbs that dim in all of them. I also have them over the sink. They really light up the room and I love that I can control the brightness with the dimmer. I also added lights under and inside the cabinets (only the ones with glass fronts)...again on dimmers. Those lights coupled with a chandelier over the table work well. You can peek here if you like: https://www.exquisitelyunremarkable.com/2013/10/kitchen-tour-before-and-after.html

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Jul 27, 2020

    If you put another ceiling fan where the track lighting is, you can use the pull to turn off & on without having to add another switch.

  • William William on Jul 27, 2020

    I would go with low profile LED ceiling light to replace the track light. Put an led bulb in the can light over the sink and also in the ceiling fan. Go with a minimum of 800 lumens with the bulbs

  • Mogie Mogie on Jul 27, 2020

    I prefer a lower hanging light if this is over any area where you might do some prep work when cooking. The reason for that is I want my light to be focused on the food prep area and not the other areas. But the lighting requirements vary depending on what is being done in the kitchen.

    For that reason we have several different types of lighting in the kitchen. It varies depending on the application needed.

  • Kmdreamer Kmdreamer on Jul 27, 2020

    Put up a selling fan with 5 globes you will love it and when it’s hot the breeze is great there are some realy pretty fancy fans I used a fan from Home Depot and it’s dark blades and a lot of Crome very pretty modern to

  • KatAych KatAych on Jul 28, 2020

    You can also use either "puck" lights or LED strips under your cabinets. Another idea is to add either real mirrors or peel and stick mirrored tiles to the TOPS of your cabinets to reflect any light coming down from the ceiling.

  • Agnes Chrzanowska Agnes Chrzanowska on Jul 31, 2020

    I would add couple of mini pendants

  • Cathy Cathy on Mar 29, 2021

    we put in a solar light in the ceiling, and 4 pot lights that make all the difference in the world!!!

  • Ame93099451 Ame93099451 on Nov 14, 2023

    If you're looking for a statement piece that also offers ample illumination, a chandelier could be a fantastic addition. Chandeliers come in different sizes and designs, and they can provide that extra touch of elegance to your kitchen.

  • ChadGregory ChadGregory on Nov 14, 2023

    Improving kitchen lighting is a great idea for both functionality and aesthetics. Since you're not a fan of the track lighting's appearance and it doesn't provide enough overall lighting, you might want to consider pendant lights or a chandelier.

    Pendant lights can be an excellent choice for task lighting over specific areas like your kitchen island or sink. They come in various styles, from modern to traditional, so you can find one that complements your kitchen's decor.

    You can explore some beautiful pendant lights and chandeliers at https://www.seuslighting.com/collections/staircase-chandelier for inspiration. It's all about finding the lighting solution that not only brightens up your kitchen but also enhances its overall look.

  • Mogie Mogie on Nov 15, 2023

    The best types of kitchen ceiling lights for general illumination of the entire kitchen are flush mount ceiling lights or ambience lights. I got some from amazon.com they are LED's and put off crazy amounts of light and use less energy also.