A Guide to Island Lighting: How to Place and Space Your Pendant Lights
A Guide to Island Lighting: How to Place and Space Your Pendant Lights
Island lighting is a focal point in a kitchen design. Where to place and how to space the lights may seem like a daunting process in the kitchen design process. The following tips will help you feel a little more confident in choosing your pendant light and how to to hang them properly.
Cover photo by Lisa Henderson Interiors
Shop similar: woven counter stools, here, here, and here. Similar pendant lights, here and here.
Neutral woven stools sit at a black kitchen island fitted with a white marble countertop holding a sink with an aged brass gooseneck faucet beneath two Small Pendants. Behind the island, stacked white cabinets with brass knobs flank a black range hood lined with brass trim and mounted to a white marble slab backsplash. Kitchen designed by Casey Sarkin Inteerior Design.
How Far Should you Space Island Pendant Lights?
First of all, establish the number of pendant lights you are using above your island. If you plan on using just one large light, then you would probably want to place it in the center of the island. That’s is not very complicated to accomplish. But, when you are using two or more, it becomes a little more tricky.
Whether using two or three lights, the lighting should all be the same distance apart. To begin this process begin by measuring the overall length of the island. Next, you will count the number of pendant lights you are using/hanging. Finally, use this formula:
Island Length / (Number of Pendant Lights + 1) = The Distance Between the Lights
This formula will get you very accurate spacing to use between each pendant light and the end of your island.
If you are using two lights, you’ll want to hang them each at the calculated distance / 2 from the center of your island. If you are using three, you will hang the middle one in the center of the island, and use the calculated distance to space the other two accordingly.
How High Do I Hang Island Pendant Lights?
Next step is hanging the pendant lights. You need to know the precise height to hang the pendant lights. For a larger pendant light, which will have brighter illumination, you should hang a bit higher. A smaller pendant light should be hung lower. The proper spacing between the top of the island and the bottom of the light is 30-40 inches.
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