Kitchen Island Lighting Ideas
At the heart of the modern kitchen, a kitchen island stands as a centrepiece and focal point of our daily lives.
Whatever your kitchen island means to you, be it a dining area, social space or workspace, the perfect lighting cannot only highlight its integral role but bring a tailored ambience that adjusts perfectly to your needs when you need them.
In this blog, you will discover luxury kitchen island lighting ideas for both smaller and larger kitchen spaces, plus expert tips and practical advice to elevate and luxuriate your kitchen experience — whatever your style.
Choosing the right kitchen island lighting
The best kitchen island lights have been designed to do more than just look beautiful.
We believe they serve as task-based lighting, whether it's work, homework or recipe reading. They bring ambience to your kitchen, creating whatever atmosphere you desire. And, finally, they serve as design elements to complement and tie in your home’s interior style.
But with so much lighting to choose from, how can you find the best fit for your needs?
Kitchen island lighting ideas: From traditional pendants to modern minimalism
Finding the right type of lighting to suit your kitchen island can be challenging. Do you stick to traditional, tried and tested designs? Do you try something new? How do you ensure that luxury edge?
Rest assured, we have curated a beautiful selection of high-quality kitchen island lighting ideas to perfectly illuminate your space for years to come.
Kitchen island pendant lighting
A classic choice is pendant lighting. This type of lighting allows you to choose the specific shape and style of the pendant, whilst ensuring they give off uniform light across your space.
A general rule of thumb is the ‘Rule of Thirds’. This equates to using three pendant lighting for kitchen islands.
Whilst an odd number may seem unusual, it provides a proportional and pleasing visual balance, as well as uniform light across the island, thus reducing shadows.
This number of lights also suits the standard island length of five to eight feet, without overcrowding.
Three pendants in a row
If you want to create a traditional three-in-a-row pendant look, we have some well-considered and expertly designed recommendations.
The Old School Electric Bell Blown Glass Pendant Light designed by Mark Holloway is a timeless choice with its clear glass shade and antique brass metalwork. Carefully handmade in the UK, each pendant comes with a twisted brown fabric cable for suspension.
With its refined design and mains-dimmable functionality, this light effortlessly blends sophistication with performance. Perfect to use as a trio.
Another option is The Old School Electric Elongated Prismatic Pendant Light, available in three sizes and a range of four elegant metal finishes.
Meticulously crafted using high-quality prismatic glass, this contemporary and fresh pendant light offers glare-free 360–degree illumination, making it a wonderful choice to hang in a three-formation above your kitchen island.
For more three-in-a-row light inspiration, why not browse our curated list of luxury kitchen island pendant lighting?
Linear Pendants
Linear pendants are exactly as they sound — long, horizontal fixtures that cast even light across your kitchen island.
They can be found in a multitude of styles, with everything from minimalist to industrial designs. When hung, they present a streamlined, cohesive look and balanced illumination.
We recommend the Long John Pendant Light by Rubn, designed by Niclas Holflin. Combining Scandinavian craftsmanship with an iron or brass structure, this light is stylish, and functional and comes with a handy dust-resistant (IP20) feature.
It may be hung with leather straps or mounted flush with brackets and comes with up to seven LED light heads; the ideal choice for low maintenance, elegant kitchen island lighting.
For a more industrial look fresh from Berlin, The Concrete Linear Pendant by Gant Lights, designed by Stefan Gant may be the one for you.
Blending fine wood with grey raw concrete, this handmade kitchen island lighting is modern, refined and minimal. It hangs beautifully on its black fabric cord, with additional cord options available for an extra £30 per fitting.
Break the rules: get even
Being different, when it comes to kitchen island lighting, doesn’t mean settling for less. Playing with convention can be rewarding, and whilst design offers guidance, it doesn’t mean you are restricted to the expected.
Having two or even four pendants, and of varying sizes, is a unique way to light your kitchen island. Even numbers can work well too.
Two-pendant kitchen lighting
The Acorn pendant light, designed by Norwegian Atle Tveit for Northern, brings the simplicity of nature to your kitchen, all with a customisable edge.
This sleek aluminium shade with a matching canopy and wooden top in oak or wood is delightfully complementary for kitchen islands, especially when paired as a duo for balanced, refined lighting.
Choose from three matt colours and interchangeable wooden tops for added customisation. You can also benefit from its dimmable function, which can illuminate your kitchen island to the desired intensity.
Another example of two pendants that pair well as a duo is The Pleated Crystal Pendant Light, designed by Marc Wood in London and crafted in Bohemia.
These lights beautifully refract light and give a warm glow from their clear, double-walled borosilicate glass shades (30 cm in diameter).
When paired, they bring balanced illumination across your kitchen island as well as timeless style with their London design and Czech craftsmanship.
Four-pendant kitchen lighting
If you’re interested in modern kitchen lighting in fours, consider The J. Adams Flume Pendant Light by J. Adams & Co.
Combining sleek design with versatility, this luxury pendant light is available in two sizes: 50 cm and 80 cm suiting both small and large kitchen islands. That means you can mix things up and go for alternating pendant sizes, four times.
Ideal for those who want a minimal aesthetic, and enjoy customisable features like adjustable hanging heights and dimmable lighting.
For more four-in-a-row kitchen lighting pendant ideas, we believe the Solid Pendant, designed by Terence Woodgate to be an exceptional choice.
Sleek in design and crafted with quality oak, walnut and marble, each pendant is beautifully unique due to its varying natural grain patterns.
Featuring high-performance LEDs and thermal cooling functionality for efficiency, they also have patented adjustable shade support so they can hang cleanly and in a straight position.
Align four above your kitchen island and enjoy a sophisticated take on convention-breaking. Remember — four isn’t a crowd.
Kitchen island lighting ideas: From traditional pendants to modern minimalism
For the best results, lighting with a brightness level of 35 lumens per square foot is ideal. Why?
Because this particular level of brightness provides the ideal illumination for everything from food prep to working whilst still providing the optimum ambience.
How high above the kitchen island should light be?
This height ensures non-glare illumination and keeps sight lines across the room. It also is close enough to the surface that the work surfaces are lit, but not so low that they interfere with conversations or any tasks.
Do bear in mind, however, your ceiling height and the size of the fixtures. We advise, for ceilings higher than standard 2.4 metres, you may wish to raise your figures by 8 cm for every 30 cm of additional ceiling height.
Can we help?
Now, perhaps you are considering your lighting aesthetic and the specifics of your kitchen island space. You are thinking about style, space, design and potentially customisation.
Remember, you don’t have to play by the rules. You can play with the rules.
If you’d like expert advice on the right kitchen island lighting for you, get in touch with one of our friendly team, who will be happy to assist you. Please email sales@hollowaysofludlow.com or call us on 020 7602 5757