Our Inside Guide to Kitchen Island Lighting and Pendants

Would you like your kitchen lighting to be a focal point of the home? We asked our resident experts to explain what to choose when redesigning a kitchen or installing a new one...

Kitchen island lighting and pendants will be at the top of your shopping list if you are fitting a new kitchen or revamping an old one.

If your property hasn't been updated in some years, there's a good chance that your kitchen lighting will be well and truly out of date. It may, for example, feature little more that some under-cabinet lighting, a cooker hood and a basic overhead pendant.

But all is not lost. In fact, today's home-owner is spoiled for choice when it comes to kitchen lighting. And with more than 37 years of experience helping people to choose the best lights for their home, KES can definitely steer you on the right track.

One of the key things when it comes to kitchen lighting and pendants is the ability to be able to control the lights. You'll have different needs from your kitchen, so it's essential to plan for this.

For example, you may need relatively bright, functional lights when cooking and prepping. Conversely, you may need more subtle ambient lights when dining.

This is especially true if there is an element of open-plan living about your home. Eating at your dining table or lounging on the sofa with a subtly-lit kitchen behind you can be very aesthetically pleasing.

In order to maximise your lighting options, it makes sense to install a mixture of lights – such as kitchen island lighting, kitchen pendants and directional spotlights. These can help to shine light into dark corners of the kitchen when you need it.

Many kitchens today have a kitchen island. These are attractive, standalone units that often feature a sink and lots of preparation space for cooking.

Sometimes, however, people forget to add lighting above this area when installing their kitchen. Unfortunately, this is a missed opportunity, as kitchen island lighting can bring something extra-special to this space.

As well as being hyper-functional, providing light exactly where you need it, kitchen island lighting can look fantastic, too. It can help to establish the island as the focal point for the entire kitchen.

Take, for example, the Masiero Honice ceiling bar pendant in matt gold. It features multiple slabs of natural onyx, and is a full 2m in length. Hanging above a kitchen island it looks simply stunning. And the same is true above a dining table, too.

Masiero, which is a widely-acclaimed Italian lighting brand, make another spectacular kitchen island light called the Sound ceiling bar pendant. Comprised of five gold-coloured shades attached to a single, central bar, it will draw the eye in any kitchen.

Many lights that work above a kitchen island are, in effect, kitchen pendant lights. What makes them well-suited to a kitchen island is their shape – the most appropriate ones tend to be rectangular. This means they are roughly the same shape as the island.

But there are a multitude of kitchen pendants that work elsewhere in the kitchen too – or in kitchens without an island. Among these is the Ideal Lux Norma hanging lantern.

Two or three of these in a kitchen can look especially good. We think these work incredibly well in a very clean, white kitchen, although we have also seen them successfully installed in kitchens of multiple types and sizes.

When choosing a kitchen lighting plan, the best place to start is with a sketch of your intended kitchen. Or if you're planning on adding lights to an existing kitchen, begin by standing back and taking a good look at the room from afar.

Ask yourself about the different needs you will have. Will your kitchen be used for preparing and cooking food only? Or will it also be a dining space – or somewhere the kids do the homework?

Think about the general ambient lighting you can leave on when you're not actually in the room. Things like a cluster of low-wattage lights that accentuate a room's best features, or create the feeling of space and depth.

Remember, too, that when pendant lights hang relatively low over a breakfast bar, they can create a wonderful sense of intimacy.

Once you have anticipated the different requirements you will have from your kitchen, you can then start creating a plan for the lighting that will meet each of these needs.

Our expert team will be delighted to advise and help with this planning. Please contact us for more details.