Kitchen Pendant Lighting & Kitchen Island Lighting

Kitchen pendant lights are a popular choice of lighting for modern kitchens, and have been trending for quite some time. This type of lighting is suspended from the ceiling via an anchor, usually in the form of a metal rod or chain, and because of this, pendant lights are often used as an accessory to provide visual interest, while providing lighting over kitchen islands, breakfast bars, or kitchen tables. These lights provide great directional lighting, so you can place them over places like kitchen islands for aesthetic purposes, or add additional task lighting to those areas where you need it most.

Pendant lights come in many different styles, shapes, sizes and finishes, so no matter what type of kitchen you have, from modern to rustic, there is sure to be one in our range that suits perfectly! 

Why are pendant lights used in kitchens?

Pendant lights in the kitchen are a great way to add style, but also, functional lighting. Often used above kitchen tables or kitchen islands, pendant lights offer ambient light that nicely illuminates your kitchen space. In addition to adding a decorative element to the kitchen, the task lighting provided by pendants is crucial for preparing meals at kitchen islands, or setting the right ambience when dining at the kitchen table. 

You can find pendant lighting styles for every kitchen décor; from industrial looking fixtures with metal shades and exposed bulbs, to more traditional looks with bowed glass shades, or stained-glass designs. Pendant lights brighten up any kitchen, making it easier to enjoy time spent while preparing food or enjoying a lazy supper around the kitchen table.

What are kitchen islands used for?

Kitchen islands are incredibly versatile, multipurpose additions to the kitchen. They can provide additional food preparation and storage space. In fact, one of the most common reasons to add a kitchen island is that it provides an extra food preparation space, especially if your existing countertops are feeling crowded. Done well, a kitchen island can even value to, or increase interest in your home – particularly if you’ve chosen a great pendant light to highlight it. 

In addition to providing storage and food preparation space, many homeowners like to add kitchen stools to give room for casual dining, similar to a breakfast bar. This allows for casual dining, such as a quick lunch, or a late night snack. 

Whether you’re using your kitchen island for food preparation or for sitting at to eat, you’ll need the right lighting to ensure you have enough brightness to work safely, or to see what you’re eating. 

What materials are kitchen pendants made from? 

Resistant materials tend to be used to create kitchen pendant lighting, due to the fact that oil, and cooking smells are created every time you cook – you don’t want your kitchen light fitting to hold the smell of yesterday’s curry! That means you’re looking at harder materials like wood, metal, and glass – and there’s a huge range to choose from within each of those types of materials.  

Natural materials 

These days, kitchen pendant lights come in a range of unique materials. Wood, rattan, bamboo and even stone can all used to give a different look and feel to your home. Wooden pendants can be constructed from a range of wood types, with pine used in Scandinavian style kitchens, oak and cedar used in traditional farmhouse kitchens, while bamboo pendants are perfect for kitchens with East Asian influences. Whatever style your kitchen, and how you want your kitchen lighting to look, you’ll find plenty of sleek designs for pendants made from natural materials. 

Metallics 

When it comes to finding kitchen pendant lights, you’ll find plenty of metals to choose from. Warm metals such as gold and copper are classic choices that bring a touch of warm elegance, while chrome and silver lend a more modern edge. Chrome is also a particularly popular option for its chic shine and versatility for any style. Depending on your taste, and what you're trying to achieve with the space, a kitchen pendant made from any one of these metals can be used to give the perfect finishing touch.

Glass 

Glass kitchen pendant lights are an excellent way to bring a unique glass aesthetic into your home. Glass pendants come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, and so they can be used to match any existing decor. They can also be used to add accents of colour with coloured glass, or where the glass pendant incorporates other materials such as metals. The glossy surface of glass allows light to pass through easily, and amplifies light from fixtures nearby, creating an enviable shine that will fill your home with light, warmth and comfort. Of course, clear, crystal-like glass isn’t the only option – frosted, bubbled, and tinted glass kitchen pendants are all available in our range. 

Fabrics

As we already mentioned, using fabrics for kitchen pendants isn’t always the best choice – especially directly over where food is being prepared and cooked. However, for larger kitchens with dining spaces, or in open plan spaces, a vibrant, statement-making light fixture with a fabric shade can be an option to help connect the spaces. 

What colours are best for kitchen pendants?

When selecting pendant lights for your kitchen, consider the hue that coordinate with the other kitchen fixtures and accessories – or you might choose to contrast them too. If you have a neutral kitchen in white or grey with silver hardware, then a pendant with white shades, or silver tones will look perfectly at home. Farmhouse style kitchens suit pendants made from natural woods, while kitchens that feature darker colours such as hunter green or navy blue look fabulous with gold or brass fixtures. Ultimately though, there are no rules – you decide what suits your kitchen, and your taste best.  

Are LED pendants good for kitchen island lighting? 

LED pendants are a great choice for kitchen island lighting because they provide brightness, are very adaptable and have a long-lasting lifespan. A great pendant light has the ability to completely change the look and feel of a kitchen, so they are a great option to transform a kitchen island into something unique. 

Not only are LEDs bright, but they’re also energy efficient, using up to 90% less electricity than traditional bulbs. In addition to this, LED pendants don't contain hazardous substances like mercury, which means that their environmental impact can be greatly reduced over time. Plus, with no need for regular replacement due to their heat resistance and long-lasting durability, LED pendants can provide dependable lighting in the kitchen for years to come.

What safety rating should kitchen pendant lighting be?

Kitchen pendant lighting is a popular choice for modern kitchens, but safety must be considered when selecting the right pendant lighting. IP ratings are used to measure the protection level of electrical appliances against water and solids. We recommend IP44 for kitchen pendant lighting, since it provides adequate protection levels against objects larger than one millimetre, such as dust particles and most dripping water. However, it's important to note that there is no legal standard or requirement for IP rating on kitchen pendant lighting; IP rating should be based on personal discretion depending on where you live and how much moisture your kitchen sees. 

How do I fit a kitchen pendant light? 

Installing a kitchen pendant light is unlikely to be a DIY job. To ensure you and your family’s safety, hire a qualified electrician. The electrician will remove any existing fixtures, and can position the new one perfectly – which can be tricky to do if you’re repositioning the pendant light. Skilled and experienced professionals are essential in making sure that your kitchen pendant light is securely fitted and can be safely used.

What lighting accessories can be used with kitchen pendant lighting?

Depending on whether your kitchen pendant is hanging above an island or a kitchen table, you might look for dimmable pendant lights and a dimmer switch. If your chosen style isn’t available in a dimmable style, but you can swap the bulb(s), then you might opt for a smart bulb, which can be controlled via an app on your phone and can be set to the colour you prefer. 

What colour temperature is best for kitchen pendant lights?

For above kitchen islands that are primarily used for food preparation, bright white, daylight bulbs are best – so you can see what you’re doing more clearly. If the kitchen pendant is to be fitted above a table, then a warm white light may be better. Or, as we’ve just mentioned, have the best of both worlds by opting for a smart bulb that can be adjusted to your preferred brightness and colour to create the right ambience. 

What is the best height for pendant lights above kitchen tables or islands?

Since you’re hanging a pendant light above a kitchen table, or a kitchen island, you might think it doesn’t really matter how low you hang it – but it does matter. Designers recommend that you hang your pendant so that the lowest part is between 30” to 36” (that’s 76 to 91cm) above the surface. This means that there is plenty of clearance, and allows for you to be able to see clearly across it towards other diners, or towards the rest of the kitchen. 

If you’re hanging a kitchen pendant where people are walking below it, then ideally, you’ll have around 7ft of clearance from the bottom of the fixture to the floor, to prevent accidents – especially if you have taller people in your home regularly.