Kitchen Lighting – our guide to creating the ‘wow’ factor in your home

The kitchen is the ‘heart’ of the home where families gather daily, preparing and consuming meals, talk about their day & have many a discussion. More often than not, potential/current homeowners envision the kitchen and living room as one space and often combine them into an open plan setting, making the kitchen one of the most ‘lived in’ spaces in the home.

 

Lighting your kitchen is a careful consideration process (or some one of the biggest conundrums) you will have when adding the finishing touches to your home. Having the correct lighting will set the tone and mood. So, whether you are nearing completion of your new-build, renovating or wanting to stay in touch with what’s trending, keep reading and we will guide you through the main factors involved.

How many lights do I need?

One of our most frequent questions we get from customers is knowing how many pendants to hang above their kitchen island or dining table. A rule of thumb for spacing between pendants is that the light reflects the diameter of each pendant, leaving an adequate gap between each. Most homeowners opt for using an odd number of light fittings to create a balanced distribution of light and weight, giving a seamless proportion. Three is usually the most popular number chosen, depending on the size of the island/dining table obviously.

The number of pendants/lights required is usually governed by the look the owner is trying to achieve and personal style and choice come into play. If you opt to install multiple pendants, the spacing of each will be governed by the diameter of each fixture.

Another popular question is regarding the ‘drop’ or hanging height. All our pendants are adjustable to a length of 1.2 metres which will give plenty of drop/hanging height for large ceilings.

When considering your choice of pendant, Ceiling height, island length and shade diameter/length of pendant are of utmost importance, but never rule out your own personal style and preference, after all it’s your kitchen!

Should I go for a Pendant or Chandelier?

Truly a personal decision, however consider the purpose of the light. Chandeliers will commonly be utilised as the sole source of light (think large dining table) whereas pendants are mainly used for accent and task lighting, where they project the light onto the surface of the island. You may have to create a number of outlets for pendants whilst Chandeliers are typically one connection, so be sure to consider this extensively before ‘first fix’ if you are selfbuilding or performing a substantial renovation. The ball is in your court on this one. Also, most of our pendants now come in either a 3 bulb or 5 bulb version, which will give a great spread of light in all directions.

 

When choosing the perfect pendant for your kitchen, you may be overwhelmed by the choices available. Choice is sometimes a blessing and a curse as finding the right style and shape of shade can be a tricky and drawn-out process, with so many available (shop our pendants and chandeliers HERE). At Maxlite we stock a wide range of lighting to suit every taste and design, from classic contemporary to modern. Whatever finish you have in mind, have a look at some of these from our Pendant range below, which should hopefully give you some inspiration.

Which Shade style/shape should I go for?

Domes offer a large range of colours and shape variations for hanging over the kitchen island. This will add a contemporary, modern feel and look to your kitchen island and will definitely stand out.

Glass shades allow for the natural flow of light throughout the kitchen area. A glass shade will offer a timeless, elegant feeling to your kitchen. Almost as important as the choice of glass pendant is the choice of accompanying bulb. You can find the perfect bulb for your chosen pendant HERE.

Globe shaped pendants are a very popular choice of recent. These combine simplicity and elegance perfectly. Globe fittings will compliment any interior with a varying array of glass types including Opal, Frosted & the on-trend smoked.

When all is said and done, every individual person has their own sense of style and their own personal preference when it comes to choosing lighting for the heart of the home.

Be sure to keep an eye to our social media channels as we are currently preparing our store for its long awaited restock & expansion – including the new table lamp range.

This is the first edition in a series of interior lighting posts. Be sure to check out our future posts!!