The popularity of open plan living means that our kitchens – and their lighting schemes –need to work on many levels to cater for all the activities that take place in them. We need the right light for tasking, dining, relaxing, working and entertaining. Kitchen islands are often the central part of the room where you might wish to make a statement, as well as providing you with an opportunity to introduce tasking and accent lighting to enhance your space.

A great lighting scheme has the power to transform an ordinary kitchen into a truly spectacular one. A cleverly positioned light can make a small room appear larger, disguise awkward architecture, compensate for poor natural light or accentuate natural features. Each design comes in come in a range of painted or antiqued brass and copper tones, as well as a combination of cool metallic finishes to suit every style of home. The pendants would be well suited above a kitchen island, breakfast bar or as part of your kitchen table layout.

Step 1 – Size and Shape

• Think about the size and shape of your kitchen and select fittings that are in proportion. 
• If in doubt, go larger as even smaller spaces look better with larger lights than ones that are too small.
• If your island is central with activity going on around it, make sure your lights are high enough to be able to see one another across it and not get in the way of working at the counter, but not so high that you are blinded by the glare of the bulb.

Step 2 –  Rule of Three

• One top design tip to achieve balance in a scheme is to repeat an element 3 times so you hang 3 lights over a counter or dining table.
• If in doubt about what material to choose, go for glass. The airy, translucent qualities of glass means the pendants will create a focal point without losing a sense of space, no matter how big or small your kitchen is. 
• A darker or heavier pendant will draw your attention and can overwhelm a space.

Step 3 – Spacing

• Find the centre point of your island. If you are fitting three pendants, the middle one should hang at this point with the other two an equal distance apart either side and at least 6” (15cm) in from the edge or your counter.
• Ideally, the space between your pendants should be at least 2ft (60cm) apart or equivalent to the width of one of your pendants at is widest point.
• If lighting a small island – 6-7ft (2m) wide – use two pendants that are at least 30” (75cm) apart from the centre point of your island.

Kitchen Pendant 

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