HOW TO: Light your kitchen island

Three pendant lights hung over a kitchen island is a popular trend that we do not see falling out of fashion any time soon. But where do you start? How do you achieve that Instagram look in your own home? 

One of our most frequently asked questions is “How do I space pendant lights over my island”, so here is our simple six step plan to create the perfect feature lighting that your kitchen is crying out for.

Before hanging your dream pendants, follow these six simple steps which will reveal the spacing needed between each of your light fittings:

1. Measure the length of the island.
2. Divide this number by 6.
3. Use the resulting number to decide the distance from the end of the island to the outer pendant on either side.
4. The middle pendant should hang at the centre of the island.
5. As a rule of thumb, the floor to the bottom of the pendants should measure between 1.7m and 1.8m from the floor. 
6. Finally, if your island contains and hob or sink offset the pendants to hang over the worktop section.

Popular kitchen island lighting choices

WELLINGTON

This pretty tear drop shaped glass shade really makes a statement. Wellingtons have really proved to be a popular choice for people wanting unforgettable island lighting.

LEDBURY

A sleek and sophisticated glass shade that looks gorgeous in any style kitchen.

WICKER

Hand woven of willow that has been grown in English wetlands, the trendy Wellington Wicker shades are fantastic atmospheric lighting accessories.

WYE VALLEY

This shade is Fritz Fryer's take on the railroad shade shape. For a classically beautiful kitchen island light, try a Wye Valley pendant light.

Of course each setting is unique, but in most cases the above steps are the simple formula that our lighting designers use regularly to achieve that classic three pendants over the kitchen island. If you are struggling to visualise how your island lighting will look, please get in touch with a team member, we have two in-house designers that will be happy to sketch the lights in your space.

Oh, and once you do achieve your dreamy kitchen lighting, don’t forget to tag us on Instagram (@fritz_fryer_lighting) or even send in your images to be shared across our social media.