How to use kitchen pendant lighting
Bespoke kitchens deserve the best possible lighting to accentuate their finest features. Pendant lighting is a very popular choice when it comes to finding lighting that effortlessly complements your kitchen’s design.
Here at PAD, we work closely with Hawksbee Studio, our specialist architectural lighting partner. Founded by Machan Enever, Hawksbee believes lighting (including any decorative feature such as a hanging pendant light) should not be considered as a separate entity, but that it is in fact one of the core components of great kitchen design. They combine their technical understanding of light with their understanding of kitchen task and functionality to provide curious, bespoke and inspiring lighting designs, helping us create beautiful kitchen lighting solutions for our clients.
In this article, we’ll explore kitchen pendant lighting with insight from Machan herself. First up, we’ll be answering some frequent questions we get asked by clients.
What is pendant lighting?
Kitchen pendant lighting drops or is suspended usually from the finished ceiling surface. It’s primarily used to add character to a space and accentuate focus over a task area. Nothing if not practical, pendant lighting also serves the usual purpose of illuminating an area. It comes in many forms: decorative pendant lighting can be used to create atmosphere and adds interest to specific areas of a room, while architectural pendant lighting typically covers wider areas for functionality. Above all, pendant lighting adds visual appeal and can help tie a room together visually as well as separate certain areas within a larger space.
Can pendant lighting match your style of kitchen?
Yes, pendant lighting has to work within the environment around it (or potentially so contrasting that it also works well). We enjoy our work with Hawskbee so much because they consider lighting a succinct and essential element within the architectural fabric of any project, particularly kitchens. Meaning it’s never an afterthought.
Ultimately, finding lighting that matches your style of kitchen comes down to personal preference. While there are recommended options for a modern kitchen versus a traditional kitchen, mismatching each element can also create an eclectic and fashionable atmosphere within a space. While it’s easy to speed through space-suitable lighting choices, Hawksbee always recommends taking your time and focussing on how the lighting actually makes you feel.
Where can pendant lighting help to highlight your kitchen?
Since pendant lighting is both an illuminating product and a decorative talking point within your kitchen, it makes sense to place a fitting almost anywhere, as long as you want to draw attention to it. Use it to highlight the feature points within your space. Islands or breakfast bars are often the hub of the kitchen: preparing food, sitting, eating, doing homework and even entertaining, so this kind of lighting works well here. Other great places to add pendant lighting in your kitchen include seating areas and walkways, acting as a wayfinding tool towards important parts of the kitchen and solidifying your kitchen as a welcoming destination in the home. Just make sure you check the height when fitting pendant lighting, there is nothing more annoying than getting up off a seat or bar stool and banging your head on a not so well-placed pendant light!
Can you place pendant lights over a kitchen island?
Yes, islands are a prominent location in the kitchen to fit pendant lighting. The island is a node of activity in the home and therefore deserves excellent feature lighting. Machan always recommends staying in proportion to the space: don’t hang the lamps too low, particularly if it’s also a seating area (as lights must clear head height), so the space and kitchen island lighting remain fit for purpose.
Our guide to pendant lighting in the kitchen
Here at PAD, we make sure every last detail in your kitchen is by design. That’s why we’ve put together this short guide on how pendant lighting should be used in the kitchen based on our work and trusted insights from our lighting experts.
Consider your space
First, consider your space. How will it be used? Kitchens are almost entirely purpose-led, so make sure any pendant lighting fulfils a purpose in the room. Light layering — having multiple different kinds of illumination in one space, including pendants — helps set the scene for all occasions. Layering is something we recommend to our clients who have the space for a full architectural lighting scheme.
Notice the details
If you’re detail-obsessed like us, it’s essential to understand that odd numbers work best with a pendant kitchen light fixture. That means your best bet is to stick to the rule of one, three, five and so on. Symmetry is also crucial, so make sure the lights are an equal distance apart and centralised in their part of the space.
Understand each material
Like everything else in your kitchen design, material choice is key. From the light fixtures to the lamps used, everything must be considered. When it comes to maintenance, we recommend choosing easy-clean materials for the kitchen in most instances. One example is near the cooker: cleaning oil grease from glass light lampshades requires time and patience, so it’s worth thinking twice about their location.
Set the tone
Choose your kitchen light shape and tone with design in mind. Is it a cosy kitchen and a cosy home you’re looking to create? Make sure you convey your kitchen’s theme or core colour tone throughout, and for additional mood lighting, consider fitting a specialist control system or keep it simple with a LED compatible rotary dimmer or dim-to-warm lamps.
Be purpose-led
Pendant lighting is composed of a fixture and then the lamp that goes in it (and sometimes a drive), so ensure their performance, lamp type and specification is fit for the environment. You should also consider the direction of light: is it there to highlight a particular feature like an island, be omnidirectional or projecting downwards on the surface specifically to light up a kitchen preparation space?
Sense check your decisions
It should go without saying, but don’t let your kitchen lighting block any lovely views out of windows or within featured sections in the kitchen. For example, positioning lighting close to glazing at night will simply act as a mirror and distort your garden view. Similarly, don’t put a kitchen pendant light in an area you don’t want to draw the eye to since highlighting a space is what they do best.
It’s clear how pendant lighting can accentuate your kitchen space and bring its features and design to life. If you’d like to learn more about creating a kitchen feature or discuss how lighting factors into our bespoke kitchens at PAD, get in touch.