How high should you hang the pendant lights in your kitchen island?
The spacing and height of your kitchen lighting is just as important as the style of lighting you choose.I have gotten a lot of questions about hanging pendant lights over a kitchen island, including the best height and how far apart to hang them.The spacing of our kitchen island pendants and tips for getting it right in your own home were shared in a quick post.I have gathered together some of my favorite kitchen pendants to give you a head start on your kitchen remodeling project.Disclosure statement is available here.
The distance between the bottom of your pendant lights and your countertop should be between 30′′ and 36′′.
Where should you hang your pendants?If you have a taller ceiling, you may want to hang your pendants a bit higher.You want to make sure that your lights aren't blocking your view and that you can see over your counter without them being in your line of sight.You don't want to have to dodge lights to see someone you're talking to across the roomThe bottom of your pendant should hang higher than the eye height of the tallest person in your house.
It can be difficult if you have low ceilings like I do.I have heard people say that if you have ceilings that are less than 8 feet, you should use semi-flush mount lights.I do not agree!You have lower ceilings, that's what I feel like.My tricks for making pendant lights work in kitchens with low ceilings are to fudge the height measurements a bit and bring your pendants down a little lower (mine are hung at a few inches less than 30′′) and use open pendants that you can see through.The pendants I used were in the 12.5′′ size.I feel like you don't know that my ceilings are very low.The 16′′ x 12′′ pendant comes in multiple finish options and is less expensive.
I will show you how to figure out how far apart the pendant lights are on an island.When I had to mark the exact placement of our kitchen pendants when the space was taken down to the studs, I came up with this formula.It is difficult since there is no option to look at it.Measure the length of your kitchen island countertop.
Divide that number by four.The number is the number of inches from the end of the island to the center of your pendants.My island counter is about 94′′ long.I divided that measurement by four.My pendants were centered from the end of my kitchen island.
I like the look of the spacing but it is my own preference.The most common suggestion for hanging two pendant lights is to divide the island into three equal parts and hang them from the end.I don't like that look because it leaves more bare space at the end of the islands and the pendants are a lot closer together in the middle.There is no right or wrong answer if you make sure your spacing in from both ends is equal.
What if you hang three pendants?It is easier to hang one of them in the center of the island.If you want them to be at least 24′′ apart, space them out on the ends.The exact distance apart is going to depend on your island length and the size of your pendants, but 30 degrees apart works well for most spaces.
Since there are too many factors that come into play, I would not give you a cut and dry answer to this last question.The length of the kitchen island and ceiling height are the main factors in determining how many pendants to place above it.I think two pendants are the best in most kitchens.If your island is on the longer side, getting more substantial pendants and sticking with two of them is a better answer than adding a third pendant.
Even though my kitchen island is close to 8 feet long, I feel like two pendants was the right choice.
People tell you that you should have one pendant per stool on your island.Ignore that!I think having three stools and two lights is more interesting.If my island was long enough, I would consider adding a third light over my kitchen.
If you want to use smaller pendants, or if you need the extra light, I would consider going with three.Again, just sharing my personal preference from my design aesthetic, if you have a smaller island with three pendants and love it, then you did the right thing because the bottom line is that it is all about what you love and will be happy with in your home.
I searched for a long time before deciding on my kitchen pendants and found a lot of other beautiful ones along the way.These are some of my favorites.
If you want to be able to find these tips later, be sure to Pin an image or two.I put together a complete source list at the end of the post if you have any questions about it.If you missed any of my previous must-have measurements posts, you can check them out here.
Benjamin Moore Cloud White is a paint color.
Range accessories include a round beaded wood tray, Gray & white striped planter, faux white peonies, marble & wood utensil holder, gold serving tongs, and white patterned bowls.
Pendant lights in gilded iron are similar to an inexpensive version available here.
The bridge faucet in vibrant STAINLESS is available here and here.
Golden champagne cup pulls on other drawers are also available.
Good advice was contained in this.The hardest part of our kitchen was hanging our pendant lights.There are 3 piece matching lights over our table.We had to do it with a room with no cabinets or island in place.A lot of research was done on how much clearance there was between the cabinets and the island.It was the only part that made me cry.It was a one shot deal since my husband was hanging them.It's a good thing.
Are you sure you aren't a contractor?More contractors I have worked with have more information about these details.It's a good thing.This information is important when you want to change a room into a kitchen.Will it be difficult to leave your new kitchen behind?Karen, xo.
I was looking for that.A bunch of lighting is being done in the kitchen.I ran can lightning on the edge of the counter and it seems like you want these over the place settings.I would like to know what you came up with.
I'm thankful for this post.Our home has 8 ceilings and an 83 island.I'm glad to see how yours looks, and for the guidance on where to hang the pendants.
I picked up two fixtures similar to yours, but they are 17 wide.Is that too big?
I want to know if you use the lightbulbs in your kitchen pendants.What is the wattage with so many bulbs in each pendant?Thank you!
Can you tell me if your pendent lights are large enough for my 6 foot island?
This was very helpful.Thank you.The sink is not in the center of the island.We would prefer just 2 lights on the island.Half the island has seating on both sides.The sink is on the other half of the island.We put the HICKS 16′′ dome lights in from the ends and left 48in between them.How wide is the space between the lights?Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Kris, your article was very helpful.When the reno was done, we decided to hang pendant lights and cover the canned lights that were still in place.Our island is large.It is too late to realize it could be a few ft smaller.I found 2 pendants 11 inches wide on the island.The bulb type is very similar to the Flynn pendant light.Do you think it would work on a large island?
Kris, your tips are always amazing and appreciated!The kitchen is being renovated right now.It has been a challenge at the same time.Our kitchen design is very similar to yours.Our ceilings are not very high.There is a sink in the center of the island.What do you think about the Modern Gold Three- Light Mini Pendant by Millennium Lighting?The lantern style lights are modern.I was thinking of putting two pendants above the island.It would be great if you could give your input on this.Thank you so much!There is a person named Kristen.
This is a great post.I like 2 even though I am still undecided over 2 or 3.I have an island that is 118 inches wide and 36 inches long.The pendants are 15.25 wide and 18 tall.Is it possible to do two?If your island was 2 or 3 feet longer, you would have considered 3.I am right at the beginning.!
It really depends on small things like your ceiling height, how open your fixtures are, and what else is going on in your kitchen to make the call when you are right on the cusp.It is possible to make either work when you are in between.