Island Lighting

Do you have a kitchen island? Or going through a kitchen remodel? Then this Shop the Look feature is for you! Any regular readers here will know that I’m a huge advocate for good lighting design in interiors, and the kitchen is one of my favorite spaces to design lighting for. Lighting for kitchens doesn’t stop with recessed spot lighting, there are many layers and areas you can consider to elevate the space and one topic that comes up time and time again with clients is the Island Lighting. Questions around individual pendants versus one linear pendant or nothing at all regularly come up. Then the huge question – how high should the island lighting be hung? In this Shop the Look feature we cover it all!

Kitchen Island Lighting

Island Lighting is exactly what it says – lighting for the kitchen island! Island lighting is typically a pendant of some sort – one single linear pendant of a number of smaller individual ones. The choice largely depends on the space itself, and the style that has been chosen for the space.

Fun Facts:

While the design of the kitchen island pendant lighting is important for aesthetic reasons, there are some key practical points that should also be considered. The first being the direction of the light from the pendant. Typically pendant lights are good task lights anyway, but be sure to check that they direct light downwards towards the countertop so safe food preparation can take place when needed. The underside of the pendant should be at least 30 inches from the surface of the island, typically 72 inches from the floor to the base of the fixture.

When it comes to deciding on the number of individual pendants, follow the rule three. This number creates a well balanced look and always looks in proportion. Of course this does depend on the kitchen island size itself, however if you are unable to fit three individual pendants comfortably, you should use one single linear pendant instead.

Style Clues

This style often includes:

• Multiple individual pendant lights
• One linear pendant light   

You may also like… The Truth Behind Kitchen Renovations and White Kitchens – Everything You Need to Know!

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