Does San Jose require a permit for all of this? How much does a permit cost, if required, and how long does it take to process?

Yes this is an intire remodel of your kitchen and you are deling with electrical, gas, and plumbing which all need to meet the code requirement of the Department of building and safety.

Consider, that the cost of operating a florescent fixture is far less than an incandescent fixture. Also consider that florescent lamps life is 20,000 hours compared the the 2,000 hour life of an incandescent bulb.

Every fixture does the same thing. They provide lighting. The beauty or ugliness of them depends on the outer casing. Many florescent fixtures come in attractive casings. Perhaps you need to look in that direction.

As far as alternative lighting, track lighting is the best bet for proving lighting to specific areas. You can spotlight where you want lighting. This will not usually provide whole room lighting.

To provide whole room lighting will require a central fixture with sufficient wattage to light the area.

You choices are: florescent, incandescent, or track lighting, or a combination of several.

http://www.taunton.com/store/pages/027003_toc.asp

The article features the installation of a HIGH quality, low voltage undercounter lighting system. Its not cheap.. figure on spending $35-$40 per foot for this system.. but consider that you get 20,000 hour rated Xenon bulbs (at $2.65 ea bulb) …

The article covers a few methods of running the wire in your walls.. This is an activity that is an ADVANCED DIY project.. be sure to get an electrician to do the line voltage part of the installtion. Your project will also require a permit from your city

The usual HD "hocky pucks" only last 300-400 hours and are 5 bucks a pop.. (I HAVE them in my house, for now)

A good online source for the Clik-strip brand is here, alone with many other options

https://www.pegasusassociates.com/XenonLightStrip.jsp

Home remodeling is one of the most exciting ventures wherein we try and make our house as beautiful as possible with the limited financial resources. But these days even with the limited financial resources with the wide range of options present in the market you can have the luxuries which you would have thought to be out of your reach. Whether you are intending to remodel your kitchen, restroom, basement or any other portion of your house it is essential that you need to get the tips on how you can make them more luxurious. This article will provide you with an insight on the tips of remodeling your kitchen countertops.

Granite countertops: Natural stone countertops like the granite, marble and soapstone add a fashionable statement to your kitchen countertops and they last long also. The natural stone is a very attractive texture but do keep an eye on the fact that this is one of the most expensive options if it is installed in pieces. An option which can provide you the same appearance with economical expense is that you can place the stones in pieces. You can have the stones cut in squares and then apply them like the ceramic tiles with the thin mortar which is used to fill the gaps between the tiles. Otherwise you can also consider overlying the granite on top of the existing counter.

Custom cabinets: With the wide range of options present in the market it is quite essential that you decide on the different cabinet configurations that suit your kitchen decor. The customized cabinets add in a new light of attraction to your kitchen and you cannot get such an outcome from the standard cabinet options. To get the customized look of the cabinets at a much affordable price what you can do is order the semi custom cabinets with the specifications of the height, width and the depth. You can get an attractive look even by the mixing the heights of the cabinets throughout the cabinet.

Stone tile backsplash: Whatever the stone you are intending to add on your countertops the obvious choice is that you will want to finish it with the stone tile backsplash so that you can provide protection to your walls. Another tip which you can utilize to have a unique look to your kitchen is that place the tiles in the diamond shape than the usual square shape, this will facilitate dual benefits of saving the number of tiles to be used in the coverage of the tile plus the diamond shaped tiles provide a very attractive and a unique look.

Wood flooring: This is one of the best flooring options which you can consider throughout the house. But what is the concern is the high cost incurred on it. However you can come out of this problem by considering the laminate wood flooring. The laminated wood flooring is available in variety of the wood grain attractive patterns.

Sarah Johns
http://www.articlesbase.com/remodeling-articles/tips-on-luxurious-kitchen-remodeling-729134.html

Many home design magazines have perfect rooms that express the best of today’s home trends and designs. People spend hundreds of dollars on home decorating magazines piecing together a collage that will transform their home into a showplace.

After spending ten to fifty thousand dollars, most homeowners give up and settle for second best. This is unfortunate, because with a few designer tricks, any home can be turned into a showplace.

The first trick to creating a magazine quality room in your home is to understand the concept of direct and indirect lighting. Many of the rooms in magazines use ambient lighting with soft bulbs, often golden hued, to give the room a warm glow.

A white light can leave the most beautiful room looking garish. In fact, if you take a look at many ‘before and after’ photos, the ‘before’ room is flooded with a harsh white light. The window treatments are pulled back so that the outside landscape contaminates the room.

Any richly decorated room will be ruined if a large picture window floods the room with bright greens and street black. Take a second look at the after pictures. Often, the outdoors is filtered out. This could be accomplished by putting a reflective coating on the window, or photographing the room at night and then ‘imposing’ the outdoor scene back in the window.

Graphic artist play a major role in creating those perfect rooms. A careful look at some rooms may show that the artist put a blue, gold, or beige film over the picture. While this cheating can result in a major disappointment for most home decorators, it does not mean that you cannot recreate the same effect in your home by playing with light, changing light shade colors, exchanging direct light for ambient light.

Many rooms can be improved by eliminating the ceiling light, or drastically changing it. Think mood when looking for a ceiling light. Most decorators think of ceiling fans, or decorative ceiling lights.

Color should be the first focus when purchasing a light. The room defines the type of light. A bedroom should have the lowest lamination in the light. The dining room and kitchen should have the brightest.

The shade has a major impact on the light’s ability to create mood. Many rooms can be improved by removing a clear glass, or white gloss, ceiling light for a dull, gold shade.

Lampshades that refract light add color to the room and highlight dull areas. Smooth, mute shades blend the colors in a room, letting the eye rest and creating warmth.

Before changing the furniture and lighting, take a look at the walls. The slightest color change on the wall will change a room dramatically. Many ‘perfect’ bedrooms have textured walls that absorb the light instead of reflecting it back into the room.

There are several easy ways to add texture to a wall. Adding a thin coating of stucco and sand to the wall, then painting over it, will destroy a large wall’s ability to reflect light. This type of treatment is used in rooms that need to be dark – even when illuminated.

The opposite is true for bright rooms. Use gloss paints, bright colors, and glass or metals that will twist and refract the light, breaking up the colors, and adding an almost invisible brightness to the room.

Patricia Taylor
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/using-lighting-to-create-the-perfect-room-110902.html

Kitchen remodeling can help you restore your kitchen into central space of the house. From conventionally a dungeon-like place to cook and wash dishes to a multi-use action center of the entire family, kitchens have absolutely become a vital part of the modern homes. The homemakers now want to get the best kitchen remodeling done in order to have the best possible in-kitchen experience. Kitchen is after all a place where you have to spend very important time, and good cooking comes with good surroundings.

Kitchen remodeling can be an exceptional mean to add value to your home. It is a very wide topic and consists of many smaller areas. It takes time and planning.

You’ll want to make sure you are choosing the right kitchen remodel for your home and your budget. It is important that you research designs from several sources in order to make sure you have found the design that is perfect for your kitchen.

The first kitchen remodeling tilt is to believe the three basic kitchen functions: storage, food preparation, and clean-up. Additional considerations for small kitchens include space-saving built-in appliances at any time possible.

Using Local home improvement contractors gives you the advantage of working with well-informed home improvement experts. The difficulty of a house remodeling project depends upon the room being remodeled, the nature of the work to be done, and the capability of those doing it. Surviving the stress of a major home remodeling project can be a challenge.

For ideas regarding good custom made kitchens try to read up on as many articles and books on kitchen design, architectural style, cabinets, countertops, flooring, faucets and fixtures, as well as lighting. Great kitchen remodeling design takes the harmonization of kitchen design ideas, the assortment of kitchen cabinets, the arrangement of contractors and other professionals, and lastly, the conclusion of exceptional workmanship to create the kitchen of your dreams. In a family, generally everybody has a say in kitchen remodeling ideas because, even if they don’t cook, they will spend time in the kitchen eating breakfast and extra meals if the dining table is located in the kitchen.

Paradise Kitchens
http://www.articlesbase.com/remodeling-articles/ideas-regarding-kitchen-remodeling-683712.html