Like a cake without icing, a kitchen island isn’t complete without complementary lighting.
Pendant lighting adds a touch of elegance to your kitchen island, whilst making sure it stays lit in the most practical way.
Jump to: Top 10 Kitchen Island Lighting Ideas..
What is Pendant Lighting?
Pendant Lighting is a popular way to light the home. The bulb is suspended from the ceiling and hangs down into the room. There are many styles of pendant lighting to choose from, which we will take a look at in this article.
Why Use Pendant Lighting for a Kitchen Island?
Kitchen Islands grow more popular by the day. With many homeowners adding this stylish and practical addition to their kitchen, they are becoming a sought-after component within a contemporary home.
Pendant lighting is a modern and stylish way to highlight your kitchen island. Not only are they attractive, but they are also a functional way of lighting your kitchen island with little fuss and a lot of practicality.
How Many Pendant Lights Do I Need For a Kitchen Island?
Firstly, you need to be sure of your measurements. Make sure you know the length and width of your island, so you can assess how many lights you need.
Other factors you might want to consider are the number of seats around your island and how you use the island. If you are planning to use one end of the island for cooking and the other for social activities, both ends need to be lit equally.
The general rule is that you need at least ONE pendant light for every TWO foot of island. This would mean that if you own a six-foot-long island, you should have at least 3 pendants, spread evenly to ensure full coverage.
This is not a hard and fast rule, of course, if you choose a particularly large and bright pendant, you may only need two lights. This is dependent on style and preference.
Another way to decide is by the number of seats. The general rule here is ONE pendant PER SEAT. If your seven-foot island hosts four seats, it would be stylish and practical to place a pendant over each.
Style elements may also come into play. It is widely regarded the RULE OF THREE is a safe and visually attractive option. Three pendants above a kitchen island should provide a sufficient light source. You may need to spread them further apart or move them closer together depending on the size of your island.
10 Styles of Pendant Lighting for Kitchen
Let’s take a look at some pendant options for your kitchen island.
#1. Clear Glass Pendant Lighting
Oozing elegance!
Clear glass pendant lighting is minimal and classy. It highlights your kitchen island without overshadowing it. A very popular choice with contemporary homeowners who feel simplicity is everything.
See more clear glass Pendant Lights – Buy from Amazon
#2. Smoked Glass Pendant Lighting
Dark and mysterious.
Smoked glass pendant lighting is perfect for those looking to add a romantic edge to the kitchen. It works well in lighter kitchens when looking to soften the mood.
A very modern style that will add a unique touch to your kitchen. Just be careful it doesn’t make your island too dark, especially if you have dark painted cabinets.
#3. Triple Pendant Lights
Some say three is a crowd, but interior designers would argue back!
Stylists have adopted the rule of three for years! Find out why it works here.
Treat your kitchen island to three matching pendant lightings to conform to ultimate style and light coverage.
#4. Globe Pendant Lighting
Globe pendant lighting is great if you want to tint the shade of your light.
A misty globe is placed around the bulb to tint the color of the light. If you have a ‘cold’ feeling kitchen, choose a globe pendant light to warm the room.
See More Globe Pendant Lighting – Buy from Amazon
#5. Bar Pendant Lighting
Practical and stylish.
A bar pendant light includes all the light sources you need in just one fitting. They are popular choices with homeowners on a budget or people with small islands who only want to fix one light source.
There are many different styles of bar pendant lighting, have a browse and see which style takes your fancy.
Take a look at the stylish Bar Pendant Lighting above a small kitchen island.
#6. Metal Pendant Lighting
This industrial style of lighting is very versatile and gives a chic edge to your room.
Popular with houses that boast a minimalist and contemporary style. This style is a sleek way to light your kitchen island with little fuss.
#7. Cage Pendant Lighting
For the artistic homeowners.
Cage pendant lighting adds a creative touch to the room. A modern yet vibrant way to light your kitchen island.
With many styles of cage lighting available, it’s easy to add a touch of personality to your kitchen.
#8. Multi Drop Pendant Lighting
If you love the cluster lighting, this is the one for you.
A cluster of pendant lights will be the center of attention. Whilst framing your kitchen island, multi-drop pendant lighting will add a little glamour and fun to your room.
#9. Designer LED Chandliers
If you want to give an ultra-modern look to your kitchen, try one of these designer LED pendant lights.
Personally, I am not a big fan of this type of lighting, since often these types of lamps do not deliver balanced light onto the island. However, I must admit that they are very stylish and tempting.
#10. Retro Style Rope Latern Lights
This one is for those who love retro-style lighting. The vintage-style rope pendant lights with yellow lambs will give a warm and cozy ambiance to the kitchen.
Click to See more retro style Pendant Lights at Amazon
Over to you now.
Which one of these types of pendant lights would you pick for your kitchen island?