Please help; I've fallen down a rabbit hole of kitchen pendant options
EDIT: Here's our kitchen:
I'd be grateful for all your thoughts and opinions. I find most pendants beautiful - that's not the problem. It's the light they create: the vast differences have thrown me for a loop. We have can lights and natural lighting and I'm wondering: what could or should the light be like that pendants create?
I'd like to create a cozy, intimate wine-bar-like atmosphere on the kitchen island seating. Am I crazy?
I started my journey with the popular clear glass or exposed bulb style:
These are beautiful to look at, but I now think they're totally impractical. (?) They're really just 'accent' lights. Even in these photos, the pendants aren't contributing to the light of the scene. And it stands to reason: The light from a naked suspended bulb is very ugly. So are people really spending $100's or $1,000's on strictly accent lighting ... and lighting the island instead with can lights?
I tried blue colored glass pendants — we really had our hearts set on Bicycle Glass:
But the ones I tried cast a cold, creepy blue glow on our neutral white-ish cabinets. Not warm & cozy at all. So unfortunately, while these are essentially works of art, I think they're impractical for actually lighting the island surface.
I moved on to glass pendants with gray+black swirls. And these still create the lightbulb-on-a-string look in the room.
Moving on, I'm trying opaque, metal pendants like these:
This style definitely does create intimate pools of light. They can be turned up and used to actually illuminate the surface. But, I discovered the problem of the visible (glaring) bulb like the second one in the above pic. And I realized that with this style, I need to pay attention to where the bulb is mounted; maybe rethink their height; definitely finding decorative bulbs.
Finally, finally, I've decided — my very opinionated view, lol — that these are the only perfect pendant types ... based purely on the quality of the light they create:
Metal/industrial style with diffusers to remove direct glare from the bulb:
Pendants that channel the light straight down and have very dark colored glass for effect:
Some variation on barrel shades, with diffusers on the bottom. They also provide attractive bounce-lighting off the ceiling.
Thanks for thoughts! Anyone else embark on this journey, discovering the vast differences in the quality of the light itself?
Comments (15)
wsea
2 months agolast modified: 2 months agoWe also didnt want glare. we ended up with the sara pendant from tech lighting. frosted interior so pretty to look at but directed lighting on the island. definately need dimmers because highest output is very bright.
https://www.techlighting.com/Products/Fixtures/Low-Voltage-Pendants/Sara-Pendant
Emma Gee
2 months agoI had same dilemma as you, decided it was important to have funfunctional lights as they will be above the sink. I went for these...
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Rachel Lee
2 months agocwcf185
2 months agoRoyHobbs
2 months ago
cawaps
2 months agoI don't have pendants, but went for functional over the perimeter cabinets on my window wall with a linear suspension light. Doesn't meet the "cozy wine-bar setting" standard, but super functional.
(not my kitchen, I don't have photos handy)
I have no love for clear glass shades or exposed bulbs. You might look at opal shades.
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2 months agoRobert
2 months agolast modified: 2 months agoThanks, everyone. Here's our kitchen — basically a blank slate. Sort of "transitional" style, I think? We don't have a dining table or dining area light yet, just lots of can lights.
Robert
2 months agoI got a couple half-painted bulbs to try — they really help eliminate the glare from some pendants. Except ... I was planning to use Philips Hue bulbs. So if I do stay with a pendant style that needs these, I'll install a smart/wifi dimmer wall switch.
Michael Soby
last monthDMF makes modular fixtures, they are known for there recess but they use the same light module and make it work with pendants. I was really surprised at what an amazing light source it was when we first started using them. They can customize different shades with different lights, they can do up and down lighting if needed, etc (there are over a thousand different configurations lol) I would highly reccomend at least checking them out. Hope this helps
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Mary Iverson
last monthI've seen these pendants in person. The light bulb is deep enough inside that all you notice is a warm glow. Also the price won't break the bank.
The blue glass is beautiful, maybe find an art glass bowl or vase to add to your decor.
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