arahija I am doing the industrial stainless steel pendant lights and have an eating area next to the kitchen is there a hanging light to complement that style of light? Any suggesion would be great!

sfnest Those blue morrocan lights just slay me - gorgeous. The fact that pendant lights are so ubiquitous is one of the factors that lead us to leave them out of my new kitchen. We've got ample natural light by day, and cans with LED lights in the ceiling by night. I may add an actual lamp to the peninsula surface to the extent I feel I need more light at night.

Samantha Schoech arahija, That's a good question. What about something very simple with just a touch of stainless like this


You could also use a light similar to your pendants but larger. Or a classic large brushed aluminum dome?

Meredith Ericksen Samantha - fun idea book! Thanks for featuring one of my projects with the retro pendants. I really like the flexibility of the weighted pulley lamps that you show. For more info about this kitchen renovation, take a look at the project page.

vmmc Even with a great exhaust, I know how often I have to clean the grease off my fluted pendants. Chandeliers or cluster lights? Hope you have a housekeeper!

joplays I need help! I am remodeling my kitchen and will include pot lights, and under upper cupboard indirect lights, but my work area is a U shape, ie, two peninsulas. the area is not large, and I am wondering if I use pendents, if I can hang two over one peninsula only, ie the one that the stove is in and that over looks the kitchen table and then another over the table or if I am better to have one over the table and have a single larger light in the centre of the two peninsulas. The pictures are of the kitchen before remodelling, but the counters will remain in the same place.

collard5 Should your pendants match your table light in an open concept kitchen/ dining...I have a silver and glass chandelier over my table but I was thinking I would do pendants with black to go with the black leaded glass cabinets. Any ideas?

Liz our kitchen is still in the design phase but on paper we have the range in the island and the sink/dishwasher against the wall. Two questions arise: 1) how would you incorporate a hood over an island, and/or 2) should we put the sink/DW in the island as most of the above pictures seem to do, and the range against the wall. I am leaning towards that, it seems more practical. Any thoughts greatly appreciated!

JAN MOYER Liz357
Hard to say without seeing the plan, but whenever possible, I put neither in the island! Much depends on how you cook, whether you have small children, what type of cook and what type of hood you are planning, along with the size of the island top. When all of cook/clean function can be located on the walls, an island is free for prepping, gathering, serving. And a lot of drawer storage! Maybe you can take a picture of your plan and upload it. Very helpful.

JAN MOYER Want to add one thing on pendant lighting. If you are a cozy person, a "warm light" person, know that a solid shaded pendant that forces light DOWN onto the island will feel warmer and will also light the island top better. I have a project where the glass globes were already chosen by the builder/previous owner (second photo) and my client likes them. I DETEST. They look dusty 24/7, and the light escapes up and around and everywhere. They read chilly/dreary/ cold/dusty on a late afternoon gray day. You're warned! Ps... you will notice the same thing happens on lamps. The larger/wider/more open the top of the shade, the more light inside escapes and "scatters". A smaller top diameter dimension forces it down.

jerryk People have been purchasing my re-lights for their kitchen Islands. I have them in my home .They are nice accents.

www.jerrykott.com

Pedini Kitchens Here are three of our favorites:
This dramatic black chandelier is perfect for the clean, minimalist white island, like yin and yang - Pedini Cucine Artika
These pendents almost disapear, in broad day light, yet they generate enough light at night time -
Pedini Integra
Clean, small and not blocking the open view, from anywhere in the room, yet does the trick and light up the island wonderfully -
Pedini Magika Design Award Winner

Kuche+Cucina These brushed aluminum pendents fit so well in this Pedini kitchen, both in terms of shape, as well as finish - Modern Kitchen Design in NJ.
Is it a light? Is it a pot rack? well, how about both? Saddle River Showhouse Saddle River French Country
We couldn't find more suitable lighting for this Pedini kitchen - the clear glass, the white lights - it is a match! Modern kitchen in the country

jmunther I purchased two clear glass pendants for my kitchen remodel. I love their 'look', but have already ordered new pendants. They didn't give enough light! Suggested bulb was a 40 W! Not enough light over a kitchen island.

debi1949 Looking to add pendant lights over our very large L-shaped island. Is there a rule of thumb for:
1. How many feet between them?
2. How far from counter surface should they hang?

Liz Here is the kitchen (and pantries) in plan. The island faces east, looking over the dining/great room, which looks out over the ocean. The kitchen isn't huge, but the house itself isn't that big, and this is a vacation home. We frequently eat out, and when I'm on vacation, I do not want to have to clean a big kitchen.

c2blum Kitchen island pendants seem very commonplace today. Having 8ft. ceilings and being 6'4" tall, we decided to forego pendants and stick with CREE LED ceiling mounts throughout. Not a fan of obstructionism and having to look around some inanimate object to get the view or have a conversation with person on the other side.

That being said, with 10' ceilings I'd go for 3 expensive Poulsen glass PH lamps.

Liz @debi: "How to hang them. Generally, pendants are installed 28 to 36 inches above the surface they'll light, 60 to 72 inches from the floor to the base of the shade, and 24 to 30 inches apart (in the case of multiple fixtures grouped together). In bathrooms, hang the lights at eye level. Over a kitchen island or other work zone, pendants should be mounted in a position and at a height where they'll stay out of the way. In a hallway or foyer, be sure people won't bang their heads on them."

taken from this ideabook:


also, we put a pendant light over a table. Well, we ended up moving the table after a few years, so now the light is just there looking silly. I guess we'll take it down...

JAN MOYER liz357
Am I being extremely dense? I see two major walls, one shared with a pantry, the other with upper and lower cabinets, and doorways at opposite ends of the kitchen What island? It appears essentially as a galley kitchen, with short/slight extending peninsula walls and an around around the corner pantry. I don't see "island" and there isn't room for one! : )

A. Peltier Interiors Thank you, thank you! I am literally at a clients house as we speak trying to get her to agree to some larger, but amazing pendants from curry and company. I showed her your examples and she is sold! Maybe I should be sending you her payment for my hourly bill:)

JAN MOYER A peltier,
Check out Arteriors and Circa Lighting too! : )

Liz I'm sorry, the picture isn't clear at all, I just put up the kitchen - the island is the sort of c shaped structure on the left. And, there won't be cabinets above it, that's a mistake. I'm attaching the whole thing, without decks (there are a lot on either side), and some of the stairway. I don't know how much you'll be able to see...

A. Peltier Interiors Yes jan, along with currey and co., Those are my favorites. I just cannot get enough of the amazing light fixtures those companies produce!

JAN MOYER Liz 357,
If you aren't planning a lot of cooking, you may NOT require a hood at all . Several thoughts: There is very little cabinetry, particularly uppers, have you carefully considered storage of non food items like glassware, oils and spices... Second, where will a microwave go? Will you have island seating/stools on the back side of the island? I get the not wanting to clean....just don't undersize the kitchen w/o careful consideration. You make friends in vacation spots : )

JAN MOYER Apeltier,
Totally agree! The new Arteriors addendum is amazing! : ) Also, Just did the sunburst Suzanne Kassler flush mounts from Circa for a mud hall... to die for style!

Liz no stools, there isn't room. There is enough storage, I measured with what we had before (tore old house down) and anything extra that isn't used often can go in the pantry. The microwave is a problem, I know. We don't have a hood in our main, non vacation, house, and don't miss one. We tried a downdraft one and it was almost worthless.So we may just do without. I think there is plenty of room to chill with friends, there are a lot of decks with good access to the kitchen, and a potential bar area I'm thinking about.

Thanks so much for your input! After seeing so many pictures of kitchens with hoods, it is liberating to know we can do without...

sueschus to help determine placement and height of a pendant, tape a balloon to the ceiling. You can adjust the string until you have the right height. Also check to make sure cabinet doors do not open into the light.

meldag I love the clear glass globes but my husband is CFL-obsessed. What can you suggest for island lighting for me?

Joanne Cannell Designs Liz357, I would like to suggest that you consult with a professional kitchen designer. In general, it is better to put the range against a wall & put a hood over it. You have room to have both a prep area & the sink on the island. It looks to me like it would be better to convert the island to a large rectangle instead of a U. This would allow for either more storage or possibly seating.

leannepoth Don't forget the range from UK designer Tom Dixon...especially if you like interesting use of metals (not the usual industrial) and/or glass (green hued glass like that used on the telephone poles of the past...).

Gary Porter I switched out my pendants for plain retro filament lightbulbs. They look fabulous.

fredericklc I love those blue Moroccan lamps so much I'm going to dream about them, lol! They are absolutely beautiful.

momalways We are updating our kitchen at the beach ... looks like this now

using these components to update and was looking to replace pendant lights... any suggestions...

kroze I recently redid my kitchen, adding a nine foot island. My friend had just done her kitchen and put pendants over her island. When I was in her home I noticed that when I stood at her island and conversed across the island, the lights were extremely distracting. So I opted to use ample recessed ceiling lights about my island. I am SO glad I did. It really gives an added dimension of spacial openness. It makes the room appear more grand in scope.

dyale who mkaes the globe pendants with the three lights in the kitchen picture