Perfecting Your Kitchen Island Lighting

Getting your kitchen island lighting right can feel a little daunting, we have put this blog together to help you achieve the perfect kitchen island lighting within your home. From selecting the perfect kitchen island pendants to successfully achieving that popular Instagram look within your own kitchen.

Three Upton clear glass pendant lights suspended over a modern kitchen island. Product: Upton Lighting Collection

How to choose kitchen island lighting?

Let’s start by creating a floorplan that makes the most of your kitchen space in simple steps:

Position the zones effectively to ensure a smooth flow and plenty of room to move around between the cabinets. Once you’ve nailed down the floorplan, let’s focus on the kitchen’s overall appearance, materials, and lighting. Think about how you’ll use the space and arrange the floor plan accordingly. Don’t forget to take advantage of natural light, but be cautious about placing skylights directly above tables and islands. It sounds like a lovely idea, but come the evening you will still need a light source over your island and the sun won’t be there! Once the detailed floor plan is ready, we can work on creating a lighting plan that complements the overall kitchen layout.

How low should kitchen island lights hang?

The standard clearance for kitchen island lights is typically around 1.7m to 1.8m from the floor to the bottom of the shade. This height ensures adequate illumination while maintaining visual harmony with the surrounding space.

Spacious pastel kitchen with three glass pendant lights suspended over a kitchen island creating a welcoming space. Product: Wellington Lighting Collection

How many lights for your kitchen island?

Layering is essential for kitchen island lighting because it provides versatility and functionality. By having separate circuits and individual controls for each layer of lighting, you can easily adjust the mood of the space to suit various activities or occasions. This allows for seamless transitions between ambient, task, and accent lighting, ensuring that the island is well-lit and adaptable for cooking, socialising, and other tasks.

How do you correctly space pendant lights over the island?

Before hanging your dream kitchen pendants, follow these six simple steps to ensure the correct spacing between each of your light fittings:

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

Product: Hereford Lighting Collection

How to choose modern kitchen island lighting?

When choosing modern kitchen island lighting, go for options that are both functional and timeless, fitting in well with these new kitchen features and the overall layout.

As new materials and kitchen hardware options become available, they change kitchen designs and set new trends. For example, boiling water taps remove the need for a kettle and downdraft extractors make it easier to cook at the island while keeping clean lines. Take a look at our Parlour Linear Pendant Light for modern kitchen inspiration.

How do I get the perfect kitchen island lighting?

Each kitchen is unique, but the steps outlined above provide a simple formula our lighting designers regularly use to achieve the classic look of three pendants over the kitchen island. If you’re struggling to visualise how your island lighting will look, please get in touch with us. Our in-house design team can sketch the lights in your space. Once you’ve achieved your dream kitchen lighting, don’t forget to tag us on Instagram (@fritz_fryer_lighting) or send in your images to be shared across our social media.