If the kitchen island is the heart of your home, you need to light it properly. Here are some expert tips and ideas to inspire you…
So, the lighting is incredibly important. Obviously, you need the right light for practical cooking and eating purposes. What is just as important is the way the kitchen island looks sets the tone for your whole house. That means it’s a fantastic opportunity to make a bold interior design statement—and lighting is the best way to do just that…
Tips for lighting a kitchen island with pendants
Pendant lights are the classic choice for lighting a kitchen island. As well as providing essential task downlighting, they look gorgeous.
How high above a kitchen island should you hang pendant lights?
When you’re hanging your kitchen island pendant lights, you should take into account the size of the space, the height of the ceiling and the dimensions of the island. As a general rule of thumb for getting the height right, pendant lights should hang around 30-36 inches from the top of a kitchen island and should be spaced around two feet apart. Using odd numbers can create a balanced look – pendants look fabulous placed over an island in clusters or rows of three or five.
See Pooky’s range of kitchen island pendant lights here.
Make a statement with uneven heights
Pooky’s adjustable Equilibrium double rise and fall pendant set. Photo: Naked Kitchens
If you’re looking to make a more dramatic, offbeat statement, try varying the height of your lights to create an interesting staggered effect.
Most pendant light fixtures can be adjusted to the required height without too much difficulty (speak to your electrician for more advice). You can go for a ‘rise and fall’ style pendant set, like Pooky’s Equilibrium, which allows you to easily make adjustments to the height of one, two or three pendants until you get exactly the look you want.
Pay attention to the fittings
When choosing pendant lights for your kitchen island, there are all sorts of options for shades (which we explore below), but it’s also important to think about the fittings: those little details make all the difference and can lift the whole look of your kitchen. Materials include antique brass, chrome, silver, and bronze.
Six inspirational approaches to lighting a kitchen island
There is no shortage of style options for kitchen island lighting, from classic and traditional, to sleek and contemporary, to great big chunky industrial pieces. You can be as bold with your look as you want to - it’s really up to you! Here are some ideas...
1) Go for some glamour with glass
Glass is fabulous for making pendant lights bounce the light about and add a touch of glamour to your kitchen island. From hand-blown pendants and globe lights, to prismatic domes and lanterns, a glass pendant can make a style statement without going over the top. Make sure you use a good-looking lightbulb.
2) Warm, buttery brass
Stig pendant in aged brass – perfect to hang over a kitchen island.
As well as casting a lovely buttery light over your kitchen island, a brass pendant light will make a real style statement. Brass can be fashioned into all sorts of different styles – so you can have anything from a modernist Scandi vibe to a more homely, traditional look (like the dainty Sisi pendant) as seen in Jane Churchill's Kitchen below. See more brass pendants here.
3) Create a cool vibe with ceramic
Ceramic pendant lights can offer a sleek, contemporary style combined with a lovely handmade feel. There are also plenty of colour glaze options, from classic blacks and whites to bright yellow and pastel blues.
Cecilia ceramic shade in natural terracotta
Browse Pooky’s unique ceramic pendant shades here.
4) Go industrial
5) Set it in concrete
Larger Soprano pendant light in pale grey concrete
6) Make a statement with a chandelier
Odin chandelier in brass with glass rods
Finally, if you're looking for a show-stopping statement piece over your kitchen island, why not consider a chandelier (or two)? Today’s chandeliers come in all kinds of different styles, from the more traditional crystal and glass styles to modern metallic takes made from metal. Check out Pooky’s eye-popping range of chandeliers here.
At Pooky we make beautiful lights for beautiful rooms. Browse gorgeous kitchen lights of all shapes, sizes, and materials here.
See also:
How to make your dream kitchen a reality - 7 tips from the experts at Naked Kitchens
