Island Lights

Island Lights

Kitchen Island Lights

Island lights are specifically designed for both function and style. Use island lighting to accent your workspace or eating area in a kitchen. If you're looking for kitchen island lighting ideas, see our wide range of island light designs for inspiration.  Our island lighting is designed to provide direct lighting over all types of kitchen areas. 

Kitchen island lighting Types

Pendant lighting is by far the most common choice for a kitchen island. Pendants are naturally effective task lights since their bulbs shine directly downward. In addition, the lengthy wires that extend from the ceiling bring the light source even closer to the action. Pendant lights come in a variety of sizes and designs, ranging from opaque glass globes to open-air bell pendants, making them an excellent choice for a wide range of interior design styles.

Linear chandeliers are multi-light fixtures that are typically rectangular or extended. Their function is to span a large kitchen island. Chandeliers with a linear design work best with expansive islands and in settings where they can command attention. In the kitchen, you would not pair a linear chandelier with another pendant, however, you could install one if the rest of your kitchen features recessed lighting. Linear Island lights are easier to install than pendant lights because only one electrical connection is needed.

Recessed Lighting For those who desire a clear and direct line of sight across their kitchen, recessed lighting is a wise choice. They provide adequate job illumination without requiring additional headroom. However, you can have both recessed lighting and pendant lighting. In some circumstances, recessed lighting placed above pendants can assist highlight their dramatic or opulent aspects. The recessed lighting then serves as supplemental illumination for your primary lamps.

Kitchen Island Lighting Tips

Your kitchen is the most important room in your house. Since it serves as a focal point for many gatherings, it is important that the mood be exactly right. The lighting over your kitchen island is more important than you might realize if you want to create the ideal balance between practicality and cozy ambience. Lighting is vital to not only sight, but also the way your guest perceive your room, as well as the overall mood the area can produce. To help you make the most of your kitchen, we have compiled some suggestions of pendant lighting for kitchen island.

Ideally, you would consider the length of the island while planning the lighting solution's scale. If you use a light fixture that is too small for the height of your island, shadows will form around its perimeter, rendering the space less welcoming and hindering your ability to observe what is going on around you. You have several options for surface-mounted lighting: a single fixture that spans the length of the island, two fixtures paired together, or even a chandelier.

How far above the countertop should I place my kitchen island light fixtures?

Plan on thirty inches of clearance between the bottom of the fixture and the countertop as a general rule for kitchen island lighting. Obviously, there are exceptions and other variables that can affect the hanging height.

For starters, the size of your fixture and the amount of light you want are crucial factors. You can hang smaller lights closer to the counter, but larger, brighter lamps can be hung higher.

Additionally, if you or your family members are taller than the average person, you may wish to raise your lights a few inches to maintain sight lines. Regardless of the circumstances, you must always have a clear line-of-sight over your kitchen island lights.

If your kitchen island has a cooktop, you may also want to consider putting the lighting a bit higher than usual. To ensure the integrity of your island lighting over a heat-radiating cooktop, install it 33 to 36 inches above the surface.

How Many Light Fixtures do I Need Over my Kitchen Island?

The "rule of three," a design principle that states that objects seem better when grouped in odd numbers, is a good rule of thumb to live by. Since this "rule" applies to most kitchen islands, three pendant lights are ideal for most islands.

It is important to consider the island's size when deciding how many pendant lights to install above it. For an island that is 5 or 6 feet in length, two pendant lights should be enough for your client's needs. Your clients can still benefit from your advice to install two pendant lights over their kitchen island if the length of their island is greater than six feet, provided that the lights are sufficiently large to cover the entire island in light.

How Far Apart Should Kitchen Island Lights Be?

Measure the length of your kitchen island and deduct twelve inches from either end to determine where to hang your pendant lights. This will give enough room so that people do not stroll around the island and hit their heads on the lights. The remaining area can be used to locate the center. When hanging pendant lights, a good rule of thumb is to provide at least as much space between them as their diameter. So, if the diameter of your pendant lights is twenty-four inches, you should put them at least twenty-four inches apart. To ensure that your lights are uniformly distributed around the kitchen island, find the center and mark it.

Kitchen Island Styles

Many older houses still use the same boring fluorescent tube lighting, but every year brings fresh options. You should not feel confined to using only classic materials in this section of the kitchen. There is a wide variety of styles available to suit any kitchen style, from dangling fixtures with exquisite blown glass to rustic farmhouse style fixtures for an antique appearance. Here are the most common Kitchen light styles:

• Modern
• Casual
• Traditional
• Farmhouse
• Mission
• European
• Tiffany/Art Glass
• Crystal/Glam
• Industrial/Loft