During a recent interior design consultation, we were tasked with replacing the existing kitchen island pendant lighting with… “something else”… The pendant lighting that was over the island was functional, but a little tired. Due to a unique ceiling circumstance, the lights weren’t spaced equally either. It made sense, once you saw what was happening on the ceiling, but unless you looked all the way up, the lighting just seemed a bit off.
This beautiful linear pendant is perfect for any modern or farmhouse-style home. The ribbed glass detail of the pendants themselves adds interest and texture.
With the unique ceiling circumstance of this kitchen, the lighting itself was a huge challenge for the homeowner to get right. Not only because of the ceiling design itself influencing the placement of lights but how the lighting felt within the space too. We love using a variety of lighting types for our clients’ projects as this gives the best overall outcome. But for this family home, it is a perfect opportunity for a linear pendant light to save the day!
In this blog post, we’re focusing on linear pendant lights as a topic overall. We’ll be sharing why we love them, where and how to use these fixtures, and also what the outcome was for our family’s kitchen island lighting!
Why We Love Linear Pendant Lighting
We love using linear pendant lighting in our projects when we can because they visually look much lighter and simple than complicated chandeliers or large pendants on their own. They are usually lighter in scale which gives a modern and contemporary look to a space.
Another fabulous linear pendant light is this industrial style 4-light piece. Finished in oil rubbed bronze it’s perfect for any urban or industrial style interior to add an edge.
Not only can you use linear pendants above the kitchen island, you can also use them above the dining table too to reduce ceiling clutter. They provide a great amount of illumination to surfaces that require task lighting like kitchen countertops and dining areas. When planning the lighting for these areas of your home, these fixtures will make up the majority of general lighting. You may want to supplement these will additional recessed ceiling lights around the perimeter of the room too.
Shape
There are two main types of shape to linear pendant lighting:
One is a suspended singular linear bar with either one or multiple light sources.
And secondly, a linear plate installed on the ceiling itself with multiple pendants hanging down in a straight and linear arrangement.
We love using linear pendant lighting to direct task lighting to dining tables and kitchen islands. They provide a great amount of illumination, and this linear set of pendants keeps the ceiling tidy.
Style
This super sleek pendant light is a beautiful addition to any modern and contemporary interior. Great for dining tables or above kitchen islands to add task lighting.
The style of linear pendant lights is another reason we love using these in our client’s homes… Because there is so much variety! You can be assured to find something that matches the existing finishes to your space and the overall style.
If you’re looking for one to fit with an industrial design interior – look for either black or bronze finished linear pendants with exposed light bulbs or that are cased within black metal. These fixtures are both industrial and contemporary looking.
On the other hand, f you prefer to keep your interior space looking modern and sleek, opt for a nickel or chrome set with glass hanging pendants. Take this one step further with an illuminated simple singular linear bar for a truly minimal look.
For a modern farmhouse style interior, nickel or chrome finished linear pendant light will work well, but choose a fixture that has multiple glass pendants that have detailing to them. This could be fluted or ribbed detail to the glass itself.
Technical
In technical terms, you will only need one junction box for electrical supply to a linear pendant light. Many also come with dimmable compatibility so you can bring the lighting levels down to the appropriate level for the space and what you’re doing there. If you have any doubts, always check with the supplier and an electrician prior to ordering and installation.
This is another great example of linear pendant lighting… A simple and sleek fixture to focus light onto the kitchen island.
Have you used linear pendant lighting in your home? Or considering it for your next home improvement project? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section! Would you like to shop from our curated collection of vendors that’s typically reserved for interior designers only? That’s possible through our partnership with SideDoor. Click here to check out the collection!
This is the beautiful linear pendant light we recommended for the family we mentioned at the beginning of this post! It’s both a work of art and a practical fixture that will illuminate the countertop for task work.
In case you were wondering what we recommended for the family we mentioned earlier, we opted for a beautiful fixture from Hubbardton Forge. This is a work of art that will eliminate the visual pain of irregular light fixture spacing while illuminating the countertop for task work. If you’re also interested in us curating a lighting solution especially for you, message us today.