Modern Kitchen Pendant Lighting: 3 Essential Tips

Are you planning on adding new pendant lights to your modern kitchen but completely confused as to where you should begin? You shouldn’t feel alone, because it’s completely normal to feel that way.

Fortunately, it’s not as daunting as it may seem. With just a quick read of this article, you’ll know all the important information you’ll need, and will feel ready and prepared when you begin your search.

Choose the Right Color

You’ll first want to begin by envisioning just which colors will look right in your kitchen. The modern style favors solid colors, with mattes being the most prevalent. A modern black pendant light over the kitchen island would be a popular choice, for instance.

Think about how the color (or at least, the most heavily used color) you choose will work with other elements in your kitchen, especially those which are not easily changed. Blacks and whites will meld easiest, but don’t be afraid to go bold with something like red.

Choose the Right Height

Once you’ve settled on the right color for your modern kitchen pendants, the next step is to determine the exact height at which you’ll hang them. The proper height for hanging island lighting is approximately 30 to 36 inches above the countertop. This would be measuring from the top of the counter to the very bottom of the fixture.

To know the correct hanging length you’ll need then, you’ll also require the height of your ceiling at the exact point at which you’ll be placing your ceiling plate. If your ceiling is slanted at this point, that’s no problem — just ensure that the pendant you purchase notes that it is adaptable for sloped ceilings. Typically, any pendant lighting that hangs via a wire or chain will meet this requirement, as will many that hang by a rod.

Now that you have these two measurements, you should be able to determine the length of the hanging method you’ll need. Remember to also take into account the height of your fixture. You won’t need to find a pendant with this exact hanging length. Most feature an adjustable hanging length, and if not they can normally be modified by a professional electrician.

Choose the Right Number of Pendants

The only thing left to determine is exactly how many modern pendants you’ll need for your kitchen. For placements over your island, you’ll almost always want at least two. If you have a smaller island (five feet or less), you can make just one larger pendant (larger than 12 inches in diameter) work in most cases.

Kitchen islands between five and seven feet in length will normally be best served by two pendants spaced 30 inches apart. This is measuring from bulb to bulb, not from the edge of one fixture to the next. Larger than seven feet in length will do best with three pendants, again spaced 30 inches apart. You can use more pendants than these rules suggest if you desire, but it’s best to only go this route if you’re using fixtures 8 inches in diameter or less.

You’re All Set to Place Your Lighting!

You should know now all the important information you’ll need for purchasing and placing pendant lighting in your modern kitchen. It’s best that you take this data to a professional electrician to handle your installation.

The good news is you should save on labor costs by having these measurements already prepared beforehand for them. Enjoy the search process, there’s plenty of options to choose from, but only one will be just right for your home!