You want to make your kitchen look spectacular and amazing! One way to do that is to install pendant lights over your kitchen island!
They are bright, shiny and create a beautiful ambiance for your kitchen. You will also have a wide range of styles to pick from, given that they are so versatile.
Having pendant lights over your kitchen island will make your island stand out. It will also provide you with more light, with an aesthetic feel. Not only that, they are very easy to install and can cover light in your whole kitchen, wherever needed!
Does a Kitchen Island Need Pendant Lights?
If you want to make your kitchen stand out in particular, you should opt to install pendant lights. If you are on a budget and feel like your kitchen does not need any other modifications, you can skip on the lights! It is completely on you whether you need pendant lights or not!
Kitchen lights can serve many different functions. They can light up the whole kitchen and provide a glorious aura. You can match the style of your kitchen island to compliment your kitchen as pendant lights come in a lot of styles!
On the other hand, you may be deciding not to install pendant lights, based on your taste and expenses. You might have a preference for other varieties of lighting.
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Why Do I Need Pendant Lights For Kitchen Island?
There are a number of reasons why you might need pendant lights. In this section, we explore some of these reasons:
- There are several different styles of pendant lights that you might love to put over your kitchen island. Pendant lights can range from traditional, formal, modern, or contemporary styles. You just need to choose what suits your kitchen the best!
- Pendant lights are stylish, urbane, and sophisticated. They can enhance the features of your lovely kitchen if you so choose to install them. Kitchen islands are often complemented with elegant pendant lights to give an impressive, eye-catching, and decorative feel!
- You probably have a lot of metal appliances in your kitchen. Not only that, your sink faucet, pantry, cabinets handles, etc. may also have a sleek metal finish. As such, the metal used on the pendant lights can suit the other metals in your kitchen.
- You can also choose to use pendant lights that are completely different from other metals in your kitchen. This will provide a nice view of the lights, making them stand out even more!
- Pendant lights are often required for a kitchen island, as you may tend to use your kitchen island multiple times a day. You’ll need some light to carry out your jobs on the island. Pendant lights provide you with small amounts of lights for your work.
- One more reason why you might want to prefer pendant lights for your kitchen islands to other types is the fact that they can last several years if chosen and maintained properly.
- Party buffets, children’s homework, food preparation, and light chitchat. All of these may take place at the kitchen island. You can also replace your dining table with the kitchen island. Having pendant lights complements your activities and maintains your style with an illustrious ambiance.
How to Choose Pendant Lights For The Kitchen Island?
While shopping for pendant lights, you should figure out and decide a couple of very important things before you can start making a choice.
Firstly, you should decide the amount of light you need around your kitchen island. Generally, a larger pendant will produce more lighting than a smaller one.
Your ceiling height, island length, and the width and height of the pendant are some things to consider while choosing pendant lights to install over your island. To keep things simple, a larger and taller pendant should be chosen for wider and big kitchen islands with higher ceilings. A larger kitchen island might need multiple pendant lights while a smaller island will require fewer pendants.
You should always have an estimation of your island size and ceiling height at hand while searching for pendant lights.
Before making a final decision, imagine the layout of your kitchen in your head and see if the pendant lights of your choice complement your kitchen island!
How Many Pendant Lights Should I Hang Over My Island?
You might prefer to follow the “Rule Of Three” while deciding how many pendant lights to hang above your kitchen island. Over an island, three pendant lights are more likely to create a more balanced space with proper lighting, compared to two or four lights.
Although, in a kitchen with a smaller island, you can always opt for two pendants. It depends on how much light and space you want around and over your island and to what extent you are likely to spend over pendants.
How Big Should Kitchen Island Pendants Be?
Kitchen island pendant lights come in a few distinct sizes to accommodate different spaces. Mini pendants could be a smart decision for small islands, while bigger installations balance lengthier counters.
The size of the kitchen island pendants should be related to the amount of light you require. Smaller pendants will provide limited lighting, while larger ones will provide more.
The ceiling height and island length should be considered alongside pendant height and width when choosing pendants to hang over your island. As a rule, a larger pendant can be used for longer islands with higher ceilings. Smaller pendants should be used for shorter islands with low ceilings.
Should Pendant Lights Be Centered To Kitchen Island?
If your pendants are to be the only source of light over your island, then you should center the pendant lights to the kitchen island.
However, you can use multiple pendant lights over a single island. In that case, you should make sure that the pendant lights are spaced equally from the ends of the island and the distance between each pendant is the same throughout.
How Far Do Pendant Lights Hang Down?
Generally, pendant lights hang 12-20 inches beneath an 8-foot ceiling. You can add 3 inches for each additional foot of ceiling height.
You can place the pendant lights at whatever height suits you and your kitchen island. In general, a separation of 28-36 inches between the pendants and the island countertop should be good enough.
This gives you enough versatility in terms of height as it prevents the tallest members of your household from hitting their heads. At the same time, enough light is evenly spread across the surface of the kitchen island without the blockage of your line of sight.
How Do You Space Pendant Lights Over a Kitchen Island?
You do not want your kitchen to feel crowded and cramped. This is why you need to space your pendant lights properly.
The first step for spacing pendant lights over an island is to find the center point of the island.
If you are hanging two pendants over a small island, space the pendant 30-36 inches apart.
For a larger kitchen island, you might want to hang three pendants, one of them being in the center. You should space out the other two pendants so they are approximately 24 inches apart.
What Is The Best Alternative To Kitchen Pendant Lights?
While pendant lights can act as a piece of jewelry for your kitchen, making it aesthetic and all decked up, there are a few alternatives that you might choose from.
Recessed Lights
For homes with a lower ceiling, recessed lights are perfect! They make your kitchen feel clean and less cramped. They also give your kitchen an expansive feeling. Their built-in LED lighting elements are energy efficient and last a longer time than any other ordinary light bulbs.
Many recessed lights may act as a spotlight for your countertop while several recessed lights may provide the general lighting for your kitchen.
Visit here to see these 6″ Ultra-Thin Led Recessed Lights on Amazon.
Flush-mount Lights
In a smaller kitchen with fewer lights, flush mount lights can look exquisite. These lights can brighten the entire room.
One other benefit of using them is that they don’t accumulate a lot of dust, which means, you do not have to clean them off as frequently. The installation of these lights is also relatively easy compared to other types.
Visit here to see this Semi Flush Mount Ceiling Light on Amazon.
Chandeliers
For a larger option, you could always look at chandeliers. They provide a much luxurious look and provide enough lighting for your various kitchen duties.
While installing chandeliers, make sure that you consider their height. Chandeliers look good in larger kitchens and often come in crystal or glass variants.
Visit here to see this 8-Light Farmhouse Chandelier on Amazon.
In this feature, we explored if your kitchen island needs a pendant light or two. We also looked at the reasons you might need them and how to choose them, topping it off with some alternatives for pendant lights!
