Pendants and Kitchen Lighting

Pendant lights are possibly the most versatile kind of lighting you can use in your kitchen. They come in so many different shapes, sizes, styles and colors that you're sure to find pendant lights that will fit your specific kitchen needs. Here are 4 tips for putting pendants in your kitchen.

1. Hang mini pendants wherever you want. These are trendy, but also useful and versatile. Pendants come in endless varieties, so you are sure to find the ones that will look best in your kitchen, no matter how you've decorated and designed it. One popular way to use mini pendants in the kitchen is to hang them in a row over the island, if you have one. Often, people hang two or three in an evenly-spaced row of the same height, creating a tidy and clean look for the whole room.

However, to play it up and go a little more modern, hang pendants at different heights over the island or mix-and-match pendants of a similar style instead of buying a matching set. You can also hang mini pendants over the sink, on either side of an oven hood, above the stovetop, above a table, in a breakfast nook or anywhere you like in the kitchen. Mini pendants combine decorative elements with task applications, so they're great for shining a little more light in areas that really need it—while looking great themselves.

2. Use bowl or drum pendants for ambience. The mini pendant's bigger cousins, bowl and drum pendants also come in all sorts of great styles that could fit your space and have great applications in the kitchen and dining areas. Hang a drum over your table, use a drum or two above the island or replace a chandelier with a drum or bowl. Look for styles that will allow a lot of light to shine while not causing glare issues.

For bowl pendants, consider whether you want ones with uplighting (where the bowl is right side up) or downlighting (where the bowl is upside down). Uplighting is good for general ambient lighting while downlighting is better for task lighting.

3. Consider bell pendants. Bell pendants are most commonly seen in foyers and hallways, but they're making their way into the kitchen as well. Bells are great for kitchens with a casual, traditional decor, especially ones taking design cues from country or beach cottages. Like their mini counterparts, bells are also usually seen hanging above islands, generally in pairs or trios. Adding pendants is an easy way to replace outdated old light fixtures and revitalize your kitchen.

4. Think about the uses. Convenience is key in the kitchen. It's important to put in lights that will do what you need them to do and do it all the time. Pendants, therefore, are a great choice since they focus light right where they are aimed. There's really no limit to what you can do with pendants in the kitchen. Better yet, pendants are available in every price range, so you won't break your bank!

Do you need more help placing pendants in your kitchen? Give our trained lighting specialists a call at 1-866-688-3562.

Emma Harger-Young - Lights Online