There are soooo many choices these days for pendant lighting over kitchen islands. It's difficult to know how to choose which one would work best in your kitchen.

While you may love a certain type of fixture, sometimes it is not that appropriate for the space you have to work with.

Today, I'm sharing a few of the considerations I go through when selecting pendant lighting for my clients and projects.

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7 Considerations For Kitchen Island Pendant Lighting

1. Size/Scale

One of the first things I look at is the size of the fixture. This is usually indicated in a sketch I do as a preliminary design concept for the space.

I may draw in a drum shade or round globe at first. Details or style could change, but I'm trying to get an idea of how the lighting will impact the kitchen in terms of how much space it should take up.

Kitchen Remodel Design Concept - Design sketch - Carla Aston #pendantlighting #kitchenlighting

The cone shaped fixtures below needed to be large because of the high ceilings in this space.

Large brass cone-shaped kitchen island fixtures, Carla Aston - Designer

This smaller cone, branching type fixture on a single stem, in one of my kitchen remodel projects, is good for spreading the detail out in this kitchen with a lower, 8'-0" ceiling.

Kitchen Remodel - Designer: Carla Aston #pendantlighting #kitchenlighting

2. Lighting Needs

While pendant lighting does supply direct lighting over and island, sometimes it can be more decorative if there is a good wash of light surrounding the space. Clear or translucent shades offer ambient lighting that contribute to the overall light in the room, while opaque shades keep the lighting more directional for tasks at the island.

3. Style

Lighting creates a big style statement in a space, especially in a kitchen where cabinetry might be plain and simple.

You can see how this traditional kitchen below features an antique, heirloom chandelier in one of my client's kitchens and truly contributes much to the style of the space.

Kitchen Remodel - Designer: Carla Aston #pendantlighting #kitchenlighting #chandelier

4. Visual Weight

Many times I like to use glass pendants for the ability to see through the fixture. These work well in kitchens with smaller or more narrow islands, so they don't intrude too much into the room.

Kitchen Remodel - Designer: Carla Aston #pendantlighting #kitchenlighting

You can see the difference below, in my own kitchen. The glass pendants over my 27" deep island are light and enable the focus of the room to go to the X-design cabinet doors beyond.

By contrast, the pendant over the table, with an opaque metal shade, makes a more dominant statement and fills the space, purposefully.

Kitchen Remodel - Designer: Carla Aston #pendantlighting #kitchenlighting

5. Finish

Finishes can contrast or blend, depending on how you want the fixtures to stand out.

These brass inverted bowl shaped fixtures really show up against the backdrop of the darker cabinetry in this remodel. The brass finish repeated a vibrant citrine color we were using in the adjacent living room in fabrics on upholstery.

Kitchen Remodel - Designer: Carla Aston #pendantlighting #kitchenlighting

In this kitchen remodel, the black pendants echo the black on the island and at the hood's mantel. They add punctuation and detail here.

Kitchen Remodel - Designer: Carla Aston #pendantlighting #kitchenlighting

6. Quantity

I seem to be doing two pendants more often these days, unless there is a really large island. This long kitchen island needed three to run down the length.