The bottom of my pendants are 40 inches above the island top. Gives clear views, from the family room, out the windows over the kitchen sink and from one side of the kitchen to the other. This height accommodates my 5' 3" daughter-in-law up to my 6' 5" grandsons. In our case, we decided that any lower would be distracting. Your vaulted ceiling may call for a different set of numbers or some type of extension.

Thank you Flo Mac! Yes we need to provide clear views as well and my husband is 6’2 and I’m 5’2 and my kids are in between. I agree lower would be distracting. We do have enough chain and the lights are 2 ft from top to bottom Darlana Lanterns). I did measure 40 inches but wasn’t sure if too low. Definitely think my husbands suggestion of 48 inches may be too high.
I don’t know if these photos will help. First one is tape measure 48 inches from countertops and second photo is 40 inches from countertops

Advice I received from this board was to blow up balloons to approximate size of your pendants and hang them from ceiling to test various drops from the ceiling. Worked really well in our decision process.

To me, the point of a pendant is to provide adequate lighting. I would wire them temporarily to an extension cord and see how much light they give off at night at various heights. Then I would decide what the "right" height was.

And, as an aside, what are you going to do to make sure the electrician doesn't crack off any of the overhangs on your island counter? Hopefully, he intends to use scaffolding rather than doing anything that provides pressure on the counter top.

kudzu9 thank you very good point. I shouldn’t assume the electrician will use an extension ladder or scaffolding. I will ask our contractor!

We have vaulted ceilings and ours are at 33 inches. 4 feet seems crazy high and would the light even reach the countertop to provide adequate task lighting?

Sammy yes you are correct. It’s just that when I was looking at various articles online they mentioned different measurements depending on ceiling heights so wasn’t sure. Thanks.

vinmarks I agree that 4 ft is too high hence the discussion between me and my husband. I do think 33 will be too low for him when he sits on a stool at the counter. I am now thinking 36 inches. I think I will need to be home when the electrician installs the lighting or take the suggestion here of temporarily wiring the pendants.

kudzu9 made a good point I agree with. You're asking what height to set the lighting at but you also need to consider the intensity of the lighting. Height is obviously important so not to impede vision. However, if your lighting is not strong enough & set too high, your illumination of the island will be diminished.

If you haven't already, I would strongly advise talking to a lighting expert about how your choice of fixtures will work in your space & if they are a good choice.

Thank you, Design Loft. I actually have my architect and electrician meeting me tomorrow to figure out. Not lighting experts but I think they will be helpful.

As most common distance to have the pendant over the island/tabletops are 36", I would go with that distance but as you have a high ceiling and more room to play with I don't see why 4' couldn't work! I think it can look fine!

Also, our lighting could be a great addition to your home. We do custom lighting so we will be able to work to feed your needs and wants. Different amount of pendants, and size of canopy etc. We also do 2D drawing before so you can have an idea of what it would look like before committing! Feel free to visit onhttps://shakuff.com/ or our instagram @shakuff_ :)

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I have the same dilemma for my kitchen, would you mind sharing what was the final decision?

We ended up hanging our pendants 36 inches from the top of our countertops. Good luck!

Thank you