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Lighting Design Dilemma Kitchens

Help! 2 or 3 Pendants over Kitchen Island?

last year

Help! We are in the midst of giving our kitchen a facelift, and I don't know if these pendants for over the island are too small? The island is about 7' long, and currently has two large pendants that are about 15.5" diameter. Picture is of our current situation -

please excuse the mismatched backsplash, waiting on new one to be installed :)

The pendants we want are 12" diameter: https://www.build.com/z-lite-476p-rod/s1731954?uid=4097768&searchId=QGD1nkxjd8

Will 2 be enough based on where the existing ones are, or do we need to have a 3rd installed in the middle of them? Would rods be better than a cord? Does anyone have any reviews on these pendants in particular? We are pretty new to this so any help would be appreciated!

(and for what it's worth, the backsplash will be light grey subway tile and we're switching all the hardware to gold/bronze - new faucet is Brizo Luxe Gold)

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Comments (8)

lucky998877
last year
The placement of your pendants seems wrong. Is it just the picture, or do they line up with the edges of your island?
Melanie Wells
Original Author
last year
@lucky998877 the picture makes it look a little weird, but the edge of it falls about 6.5-7" from the edge of the counter. The new ones would be about 5.5-6" smaller in diameter so they'd be a little closer in towards the middle. I think the "hole" (not sure the right term) where it attaches to the ceiling is about 15" from the edge of the counter.
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2 or 3 pendants over our island?
Q
Comments (14)
Thanks! Btw, alku05 I love your counters. Are they marble or granite? We're looking for a creamy granite that looks like marble (I can't take the etching!). Yes, Rhome, I agree we're kind of on the boarder between 2 does the job and needs 3. We won't have any other pendants in the kitchen, but we will have recessed lights around the perimter of the island. Since the island is so large, I just don't want those pendants to looked dwarfed by the island. At the same time, I don't want the pendants to look too clustered together. I figure that if we do 3 pendants, we can hang the 2 outer ones about 18 inches on center in from the edges of the island, and put the 3d in between those 2 so that edge to edge, they are about 38" apart. If we did 2 pendants, then we could hang the 2 outer ones about 24 inches on center from the edges of the island, and that would leave 76 inches between the edges of the 2 pendants. Is that too far a gap? Is the 38" too close together? The kitchen itself is pretty large (17x24). It's funny how many "little" decisions there are to agonize about. This is just one of many, but I'm sure you all know that!
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Should I buy 2 or 3 of these pendants for my kitchen island?
Q
Comments (17)
Yes, because they are solid, and you island is only nine feet long, and because they are EACH 18 inches wide and three will be overwhelming and a visual blocking mass. And because I do this stuff every single day for a living : ) ? and I'd not let you buy a third. And you will HATE three of them? Your inspiration photo isn't lying......that's roughly "nine and a little" feet you are seeing, and I can tell because of the counter chairs. Using just two will be plenty o impact.Here are two, very OPEN and airy on nine feet x 4 feet, and they are 12 inches wide and 14 high. Not the best angle.....but they were plenty I assure you If you are stuck on three..go DOWN in size To "Ziggy" from Arteriors. and do three nine inch x 12 inch Or do the WIDE "ziggy" at 13 inches.........and three ( below)
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How close should I hang 2 pendants over my kitchen island?
Q
Comments (5)
Thank you all for your input! I drew it on paper and the lights look too close together using the 1/3 rule (28" from edge), and they look too far apart centering them on the sides of the sink (13.5" from edge). So, I've decided to split the difference and center them 21" from the ends. This gives 24" between the pendants in the center of the island, and 12" from the edge of the island to the pendant. Even with hubby being 6'5", I don't think he'll hit his head. I drew it out (side view and top view below). Please let me know if there are any fatal flaws in this plan! p.s., our ceilings are 9', so I can easily have the bottom of the pendants 36" from the top of the island - thanks for the tip Jan!
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Design Dilemma: 2 or 3 Pendant Lights Over Off Centered Island???
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Comments (12)
IMO the space is very crowded and not a good work space . I don't even think sinks need to be at windows since we spend so little time at sinks if we use out DWs properly and to place a sink to look out at the great room really makes no sense . If the stools are in use there is no way to access the stuff behing them all the walkways are too small . Are you an actual KD or just an ID Kitchen design begins with function and clients need to be guided by that function . Often clients need to be told when something they want will just not work.IMo first fix the function then worry about the pendants .
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barncatz
last year
The two smaller pendants will fit the space better. They are very pretty!
PRO
User
last year
last modified: last year

Hope this helps!

Keep in mind the glass globes will feel far less visually heavy than your current pendants.
Melanie Wells
Original Author
last year
@User That is super helpful, thank you!
PRO
RL Relocation LLC
last year
Two pendants half that size, you outlet placement was centered to be that way. What you have now is much to large and in charge, the black also seems heavy. I would consider glass or mixed metal. Do not add a third pendant. Too much clutter.

I would have done this
PRO
MIRODEMI
last year
We think it would be better to hang 3 pendant lights, but smaller than the ones in your photo.
PRO
Miloni Mehta
last year
If oyu have large and heavy pendants; use two. Light and small; Use three.

there is an 8" option available. Since they are glass globes, they will provide sufficient illumination if you choose the correct bulb. so you could place 3 8" globes. Three trumps two in most things anyway. Sets of three look better, IMO.

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