I’ve been receiving lots of kitchen island lighting questions since I shared about my new pendants. How high from the counter top should pendant lights hang? Should you hang 2 or 3 lights? How big should the lights be? How far apart should they be spaced?
So first let me start by saying I’m hardly an expert. Truth be told I think even design experts would tell you that the answers to all of the above lighting questions vary greatly depending on the space. There really are no hard and fast “rules”. However, there are a few guidelines that can be really helpful when you’re making lighting decisions.
Two or Three? and How Big Should They Be?
There really is no right or wrong answer here. Truly. It’s mostly about your personal preference. It’s all about scale and ceiling height. The larger the island and the taller the ceiling the larger your pendant lights can be.
How high should they be from the counter top?
As a general rule you want the bottom of the pendants to be 30 to 36 inches from the counter top. But the most important thing to consider is hanging them so that they don’t obstruct the view. You don’t want anyone sitting at the island to have pendant lights in their sight line. So if your family is on the tall side you may want to hang your pendants a little higher than the norm.
How far apart should they be spaced?
You’ll want them somewhere between 12 to 18 inches from the edge and then spaced at least 12 to 18 inches from each other. But regardless of the measurements the most important thing is to space them so that they’re equidistant from the center of the island.
The most important thing is to not get too caught up in measurements and just go with your gut. Go with what you think looks best and what you think will work best in your space. I hope these guidelines are helpful!
