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Kitchen island lighting is one of the central aspects of kitchen lighting design. The island is a productive space where tasks are performed, meals are eaten and sometimes even where guests linger and converse. Lights over kitchen islands can go a long way toward sprucing up your kitchen and making it a place you want to be. Below, we will discuss modern kitchen island lighting and island lighting ideas.
What is a Kitchen Island, And Why is it a Great Idea?
A kitchen island is a freestanding cabinet that often sits in the middle of the space. Sometimes, stools are placed around it to turn it into a breakfast bar. Just as commonly, you’ll find storage spaces built into them in the form of cabinets and drawers.
Kitchen islands make it much easier to manage the kitchen area, offering you access to it from all sides and additional storage opportunities. Islands serve as an additional countertop spaces, allowing you to prepare your meals with greater ease.
Furthermore, with stools and bar chairs around the island, you can bring in more seating solutions while hosting guests. From an aesthetic standpoint, they can quickly become the focal point of the room and a key design element. This is especially true when you add island lighting. Modern island lighting can take several different forms depending on the kitchen and the island itself.
Different Styles of Lighting to Use for a Kitchen Island
Island lighting for kitchens come in a versatile range that you can use to create a beautiful space around the central point. Island lighting can be worked into a variety of different kitchen styles, no matter what aesthetic you prefer.
- INDUSTRIAL – Industrial island light fixtures for modern kitchens often include metallic elements and tend to be rather minimalistic. This style of light has an urban charm to it that instantly updates any home.
- FARMHOUSE – Hanging lights for kitchen areas are a common theme in modern farmhouse styles. By using metallic or wooden lighting, you can create a cosy farmhouse feel in your kitchen, making it feel welcoming and inviting.
- VINTAGE – Lovers of classic design styles can benefit from having vintage island pendant lights. This style of pendant light will allow you to bring the design trends of the past into the modern age and give your kitchen a charming upgrade.
- GLASS – Glass pendant lights over island spaces are a timeless choice for any kitchen. They bring with them an unmatched elegance that never quite goes out of style and can be worked into rooms of just about any style or material composition.
- WOODEN – Wooden over island lighting allows you to bring earthier elements into your home. Those who like coastal decor or even modern looks can benefit from wooden lighting fixtures.
- CONTEMPORARY – For those who want to modernize their kitchens, contemporary lighting is a must. Contemporary pendant lighting for kitchen islands allows you to dress up islands with modern charm while providing ample illumination for tasks. These are often colourful or have unique shapes that make them as artistic as they are functional.
- PLINTH LIGHTS – Kickboard lights, otherwise known as plinth lighting, are common island light fixtures. They run around the base of the kitchen island and the base cabinets just above the floor and outline perimeters. This type of low level illumination brings light from the top down and is a nice addition to your layered lighting scheme.
How To Position Pendant Lighting Above a Kitchen Island
When it comes to kitchen pendant lighting over island areas, there is no set rule regarding their placement. Even so, there are some general guidelines that you should keep in mind when you are planning your lighting. This includes the rule of three.
The rule of three states that lights should be placed in odd numbers, which will make it more memorable and aesthetically pleasing. When it comes to pendant lights for kitchen islands, it’s a good idea to hang three lights above the island to make the best impression.
The number of kitchen pendants you should place above the island depends on how large the island is. If your island is fairly small, between five and six feet, two pendants may be enough. If it is any larger than six feet, three or more lights is ideal.
When it comes to spacing, kitchen island lights should be spaced about six inches from the edge of the island. Between each light, there should be 30 to 32 inches of space. It is important to also have between 30 and 32 inches of space between the bottom of the pendant light and the countertop.
What Lighting Can You Use For a Kitchen Island if You Have a Vaulted Ceiling?
Vaulted ceilings may require their own special design considerations when planning your lighting scheme. Below are a few light styles to consider for vaulted ceilings:
- PENDANT LIGHTING – Pendant lights hung at varying heights above the island can give an offset, modern look while filling up some of that vertical space.
- LED TRACK LIGHTS – Track lights can be installed along the slopes of vaulted ceilings in order to illuminate the island. Do so by positioning the light heads towards the surface of the island.
- RECESSED LIGHTING – Recessed lights in the vaulted ceiling can be spaced out evenly to bring uniform, balanced lighting to the area above the kitchen island. This will also avoid shadows.
- CHANDELIERS – Another way to take up some of the empty vertical space in the kitchen is to hang a large chandelier. When hung above the island, this can also help secure the island as a focal point in the room.
- PENDANT CLUSTER LIGHTS – By clustering pendant lights together, you can enhance the visual impact of the space while also providing ample lighting to the area. This can usually be accomplished by mini pendant lights for kitchen islands.
- LINEAR SUSPENSION LIGHTS – Linear lighting above the island will cast illumination down onto the entirety of the kitchen island. This type of light is especially ideal for islands as it ensures no shadows are cast on this important task-centered area.
Do’s and Don’ts for Kitchen Island Light Fittings
Whether you’re considering kitchen island track lighting, flush mount lights for islands or anything in between, here you’ll find some Dos and Don’ts of kitchen island lighting.
DO …
- consider the size of the kitchen island and choose the appropriate size and dimensions for proper balance.
- consider the overall design of the room and ensure the lights fit into the aesthetic of the space to avoid clashing.
- consider the ceiling height so that you can determine the best hanging height for your new lighting.
- install dimmer switches to enjoy better control over the light levels at any given time.
- opt for LED bulbs to enjoy their colour temperature versatility and generally energy efficient nature.
- pay attention to the lumen level of the light to ensure the proper brightness level.
DON’T …
- choose fixtures that are too large or too small for your kitchen island by finding ones with the right proportions.
- hang the lights in such a way that they obstruct the line of sight between those standing or sitting on either side.
- rely only on one single light source. Instead, use the rule of three to hang multiples and include your island lights as a part of your layered lighting scheme.
- neglect regular maintenance on the lights.
What is The Best Colour Temperature to Use For Kitchen Island Lighting?
Colour temperature refers to the light’s warm or cool tones. It exists on a scale that is measured in Kelvin units between 1,000k and 10,000k. On the lower end of the spectrum, you’ll find the warmer-toned lights. On the upper end, you’ll find the cooler lights.
Generally speaking, for domestic settings, warmer lights are the best way to go. When it comes to the kitchen specifically, 3000k or 4000k lights are thought to be ideal. A kitchen can also do well with cool lights that are bright, with around 4000k being a popular choice, which makes the room easy to work in.
That said, if you have a kitchen that has wooden or painted cabinets, a warmer 3000k is a good option for you.
Ideas for Kitchens with Low Ceilings
Kitchens with low ceilings can still benefit from kitchen island lighting. Below are a few ways to incorporate it:
- FLUSH MOUNTED LIGHTS – These lights sit quite close to the ceiling, giving plenty of illumination without taking up too much space.
- MINI PENDANT LIGHTS – When there isn’t a lot of room to work with, you can use smaller pendant lights hung over the island.
- RECESSED LIGHTING – Save the most amount of space possible with lights recessed into the ceiling above.
- WALL SCONCES – If your kitchen is on the smaller side, wall sconces near the kitchen island can provide illumination without wasting precious vertical space.
- TRACK LIGHTING – By fixing lights on tracks and adjusting their heads in the proper direction, you can generate ample illumination for the kitchen island in a sleek, modern manner.
- PLINTH LIGHTING – Since plinth lighting installs into the kickplates, it takes up virtually no room while providing a nice glow from below.
- LIGHTED POT RACK – Make the most out of the space above the island by illuminating your pot rack and allowing that to be the source of light.
Kitchen Island Lighting Ideas
With the LPL366 10 Watt Twin Hexagonal LED Pendant Light, you can instantly modernize your kitchen island. This hexagonal pendant light offers a geometric take on kitchen island lighting and looks great when hung in threes. The fixture is crafted out of high quality aluminium and comes finished in your choice of black, white or grey. It produces 800 lumens of 3000k warm white light that shines at a 30-degree beam angle, and measures 160 millimeters in height by 180 millimeters in width.
Make the most of the vertical space above the island when you hang the LPL364 5 Watt Hanging LED Pendant Light. The light features a short shade that houses the LED bulb within it. It outputs 400 lumens of 3000k warm white LED light that emits at a 30-degree beam angle. This premium aluminium light comes in black, white, or black and gold finishes and measures 148 millimeters in diameter.
Spice up your kitchen with the addition of the LPL335 20 Watt LED Pendant Light – Up and Down Lighter. The pendant light shines illumination above and below for a unique lighting effect, especially in multiples installed over islands. It is available in vibrant colours such as red, green and yellow, with neutral options also available. Measuring 220 millimeters in diameter, the light outputs a remarkably bright 2000 lumens of 3000k warm white light through an opal acrylic shade diffuser.
Light up the entire length of the kitchen island with the LPL142A 20 Watt Black LED Pendant Ceiling Light. This ceiling light hangs down at the height of your choosing and spreads light along the entirety of the island, thanks to its 1170-millimeter-long body. A total of 2000 lumens of 3000k warm white is shone at a 120-beam angle, making it ideal for task lighting at the counter. It is crafted out of high quality aluminium and completed with a brushed black finish.
Bring light in the kitchen from floor to ceiling with the LDC880 Kit of 9 x 1 Watt LED Plinth Lights. These plinth lights can be installed in the kickplates of the kitchen island or the perimeter base cabinets, providing a dramatic display of illumination. These lights are crafted out of premium aluminium that come finished in your choice of polished chrome, silver, rose gold, gold, white or black. The fixture outputs 122 lumens and connects to multiples using a 60-centimeter link cable between the lights. Each plinth light measure 23 millimeters in diameter.
Elevate your kitchen with the inclusion of the LSP194 9 Watt Black and Gold LED Track Light. This track light features an elegant black and gold colour scheme for an opulent look and feel. It outputs 800 lumens of your choice of either warm or cool lighting, shining at a 20-degree beam angle through a honeycomb filter to reduce glare. The fixture measures 146 millimeters by 60 millimeters by 195 millimeters.
With the LSP226 5 Watt GU10 Hexagonal LED Track Light, you can provide plenty of illumination  for your kitchen island while giving it some modern charm. The geometric light attaches to a track and features a movable head, so you can adjust it to your preferences. It is fashioned out of high quality aluminium available in your choice of black, white or silver finishes. The track light measures 210 millimeters by 104 millimeters by 90 millimeters in size.