Allan, I love under-cabinet lighting. They give the room an elegant look but at the same time, they're perfect task lighting.

I put in some fixtures on down-rods in the kitchen and dining room last year and I like the look of those also. The light isn't on the ceiling lighting the entire room, it is a few feet above the counter, lighting just the counter, but centered over the counter so no one hits their head on it. I've also seen some attractive lighting worked into pot racks (Lowes), but I think one of those would dwarf my kitchen.

SRS