Choose the Right Pendent Lights for your Kitchen Island

Choose the Right Pendant Lights for Your Kitchen Island Get tips on function, style, height and more to get your island lighting scheme on track. The kitchen island pendant can be the jewelry of the kitchen, an important fixture to help with your everyday tasks and so much more. To help narrow down your choice from the seemingly infinite range of beautiful options, here’s a guide to choosing the type and style of pendant that suits your tastes and needs.

Pendant lights come in many forms, and different decorative styles can achieve similar practical effects. For this reason, it’s wise to start by considering what functional type of lighting you want to achieve, rather than the type or aesthetic style of fixture you desire.

The type of illumination you need from your pendant will depend largely on what types of lighting are already available in your kitchen. A space with many large windows may not need much more ambient light during the day, but you may need task lighting for the counter while chopping. A kitchen that already has many pot lights in the ceiling may just need a little decorative sparkle to catch the eye. Consider what other lighting is available, and let your pendant lights help fill in the gaps.

Lighting comes in four basic forms, and all four can apply to your kitchen: task, ambient, accent and decorative. Let’s review all four.