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Island hood with pendant lighting- too much?

12 years ago

Our kitchen design includes a large island (100" x 60") with a slide in range. We are putting a nice, sleek 36" hood (Zephyr Modena) over the range. I've always loved pendant lights, but with the hood and our somewhat busy granite (White Spring), I'm afraid the pendant lights will be too much. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Linda

Featured Answer

User

12 years ago

In a large kitchen, you can do pendants and an island hood, but you've got to avoid the "spaceship invasion from Mars" look of all the stuff dangling from the ceiling looking for a place to land. More than about 3 pendants (including the hood) in a single space starts to look busy, unless they are something like just an odd number above a distinct seating area like a adjacent but separate breakfast bar.

For your size sub-continent, it could possibly work and not be too busy. However, the minimal approach is always the safest. You don't want too many focal points. Your eyes will bleed trying to take it all in. (Can you even reach to clean such an island?) If you aren't using a visual planning aid like some design software, then mock it up with cardboard boxes for the island and balloons hung from above to mimic the size of your island hood and any pendants you might be considering.

A combination of recessed spots and floods can make sure your island is well lit without pendants if the addition of a pendant or two is too overwhelming. Get your lighting designer involved. If you don't have one, go to any relatively expensive lighting store in town and ask for their most experienced staff designer and buy at least a couple of lights from them to justify the time they spend with you even if the lights aren't for your kitchen area.

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Comments (9)

dianalo
12 years ago
We have a 110" island and have a pendant on either side of the 36" hood. Our pendants are quite big and it works fine. Our hood is actually pretty beefy itself, so yours being sleek would be less obtrusive. The gc installed our hood too low by several inches and so our situation will improve when it gets reinstalled and yet our setup looks ok if you don't notice the potential to bump one's head on the hood, lol....
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Bumblebe
Original Author
12 years ago
OK, thanks so much. That is reassuring. So many decisions.... Is your hood in the middle of your island? Ours will be off center, so there will only be a pendant on one side of the hood.

Here's hoping it'll all turn out fine!
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Adding pendants is not at all a good aesthetic look with a big island hood. Functionally, the planned hood is not nearly strong enough or large enough for an island grill. Among the many other functional issues. You really should be working with a Kitchen Designer who has a better grasp of the logistics of a functional kitchen. Thats a poor plan. And yes, it starts with your non negotiable that will smoke you out and be a constant source of ugly greasy filth on your centerpiece. I don’t think you realize how unattractive used grills are, or how much smoke they create. Plus, what countertop material have you found that is 150” long? Because that’s what it takes to top a 12’ island with overhang. That material doesn't exist in one slab.
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rocketmomkd
12 years ago
I was considering a pendant on either side of my 36" island range hood. The feedback I got on GW was that it would look to busy. My space isn't as large as yours. The counter where my slide in range will be is about 80" long and open to the dining room. I ended up agreeing with what others said and decided to nix the pendants.
Bumblebe
Original Author
12 years ago
Ooh, see, that's what I am worried about. What did you do instead?
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rocketmomkd
12 years ago
bumblebe- we've done nothing yet, we are currently down to studs and subfloor! But we are going to be putting in several recessed light pots, two are going to be above the range counter and the range hood has lighting. If you are doing recessed lighting, you can easily put in enough to compensate for the pendants. Another reason we decided against the range pendants is that we are putting pendants above our peninsula, in a U-shaped kitchen.
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Bumblebe
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks for the ideas - I think I'm going to forget about pendants. Its not worth the risk. But I like the idea of going to a lighting store - I'll try to do that soon!

Now - more decisions - runnels or not? LOL.
prospect711
12 years ago
We have pendants and an island hood on our peninsula. We find that the pendants provide great light and we use them all the time.
La La James
8 years ago
Is there a rule of thumb when it comes to the distance between the hood and dining room lighting. I completely opened my entire downstairs and the dining room area is close to the peninsula. Just wondering if I should buy a cooktop with the ventilated backdraft or get a range hood.

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