How to Choose Island Pendants
How to Choose Island Pendants
There are no shortage of beautiful island pendants, so all you need to worry about is choosing pendants that work with the style of your home! You can choose pendants in any number of materials and finishes. Different size islands will need different sizes of pendants as well as different amounts. You want to make sure that the pendants you select are proportionate to your island, as well as the overall size and layout of your kitchen. If you have a more open concept home, you may choose pendants that are more minimal to not interrupt the sight lines into your living or dining room. You also may want to consider pendants that have adjustable heights or dimmers so that you can achieve your desired ambiance and functionality, whether it’s warm and inviting for intimate gatherings, or bright and focused for weekly meal prep.
Complement Your Kitchen
When selecting a pendant, it’s important to consider how much you’d like it to blend in or stand out from your existing decor, or work with the other possible light fixtures in the room. In the photo on the left, we chose a pendant with a white shade and black accents to mimic the white cabinets and black hardware throughout this kitchen. This helps the pendants to blend in with the kitchen while giving just a subtle bit of contrast. In the photo on the right, The glass shade of the pendant also helps them to blend into the space, but the ceiling panel above helps give them more impact. This is a combined kitchen and dining room, so if you’d like to keep your design very streamlined, we recommend choosing a pendant for your table that has a similar shape and colour.
Embrace Bold Designs
If you’re looking for a pendant light that’s going to make a statement, go with a pendant that has more interesting design details, or opt for a larger number of pendants to really draw your eye to them. In the photo on the left, these large, wide pendants have a beautiful gold finish on the inside to infuse the room with warm light when turned on. They also have an interesting gold chain detail that complements the other warm gold accents in the room and adds texture. In order to ensure that these lights are the main attraction, the other lighting in the room is kept very subtle. In the photo on the right, these large charcoal grey pendants provide a lot of contrast to this bright kitchen. Having four of them lined up over this large island really gives the space a more grand and expansive feeling. You’ll also notice that the lights are a very similar colour to the grey accent under the island, which helps tie the entire room together.
Better Together
Another great way to create a more subtle statement with your pendant lights is to choose to group multiple lights together, or choose lights that have multiple bulbs. In the photo on the left, these gorgeous clustered pendants reflect off of one another to create a bright crystal-like effect of light. The group of three on each pendant also gives a playful and whimsical feel to this tonal kitchen. In the photo on the right, the pendants are more minimal, with their gold accents. The round shape also helps to add some softness to this kitchen. Lining up several small pendants over your island like this can add an understated touch of elegance to your kitchen. Just ensure that you have a professional hang your lights so that they’re even and all sit at the same height.
Barely There
If you’re someone who likes to be more minimal with their lighting, these are the styles of fixtures for you. If you’d like your pendant lights to blend into your kitchen, try choosing lights that have a very minimal and streamlined shade, or opt for one that’s very simple with clear glass and not a lot of embellishment or colour. In the photo on the left, these very sleek and minimal pendants are nearly invisible, allowing you to focus on the beautiful millwork and angular lines of this modern kitchen. Their low round profile and sleek cable add a hint of softness without being too distracting. In the photo on the right, the design of this pendant is very subtle and is one of the only instances where there is a single pendant on its own! The larger size and very simple design of this pendant means that you only need one for an island of this size. The subtle black accents complement the other black elements perfectly without drawing the eye away from the sleek overall design.
Photo Credit: Shellard Photography
