Advice & Tips

12 Kitchen Pendant Lighting Ideas | Add Character To Your Kitchen

Pendant lighting is essentially lighting fixtures that hang from the ceiling and are usually suspended by metal rods, cords or chains. They can be made from a range of materials and in a kitchen and are one of the most popular choices for interior design lighting. Depending on your functionality needs, kitchen style, and the space available, there is always a perfect pendant lighting style waiting to be found! Here we look at some of the advantages of pendant lighting and give you some examples of inspirational kitchen pendant lighting ideas.

Advantages of kitchen pendant lights

Some of these include being:

Visually versatile — they are available in a number of sizes, styles, shapes, materials and features. Multiple pendant lights can also be used to increase the lighting in a larger space.
Multi-functional — they not only enhance a kitchen’s aesthetics but are also ideal for “task lighting” over island benches, bench tops and sinks.
Decorative — regardless of the style of your kitchen, there is a pendant light that will enhance it!

Kitchen pendant lighting ideas

Commonly known as a shade pendant light, this design can cover a wide range of “bowl” shapes and adds a contemporary flair to this modern kitchen. Their matt metallic finish is dramatic and ensures they pair back perfectly with the kitchen stools, tapware and window edging. They are also extremely functional, adding plenty of light over the marble-look bench. This is a creative way of making kitchen lighting a focal point while keeping the effect subtle and sophisticated.

This kitchen is a lovely combination of traditional and modern elements with shaker-style cabinetry and the minimal colour palette and clean lines of the sizable island benchtop. This makes the owner’s chosen glass pendant lights the perfect choice as they are versatile and were able to be customised. In this kitchen, they also add a touch of originality. Their lantern-style design definitely crosses over into traditional territory and softly diffuses light over the island bench while still remaining functional.

These are one of the more minimalist styles of pendant lights and are often referred to as “core” lighting. In this kitchen, the “bare” or “exposed” bulbs are suspended dramatically from the ceiling at just the right height to achieve their core role as task lighting. In terms of mini pendant lighting kitchen ideas, they exude a subtle and minimalist statement with an industrial edge. These types of pendant lights also tend to be on the budget-friendly side compared to other more lavish lighting choices.

“Lantern” or “caged” pendant lights are the epitome of vintage-style pendant lighting. Often designed to mirror historical lighting, they have a classic character and a timeless appeal. In this kitchen, they are definitely a focal point (particularly the one in the adjoining room!) and the unique shape of the glass exterior and multiple internal lights up the wow factor. The darker colour of their framing and in their chain suspensions allow the divine timber panelling on the ceiling and the rustic looking island bench panelling to pop.

This pendant light is one of the key features of this dining area, and not just because of its size! It is what is known as a “multi-light” pendant. In this case, the design features multiple light sources attached to a central arm bar, and the entire setup is encased in a beautiful and uniquely shaped “lantern-style” exterior. Its warm, brass tones and unique candle-shaped light bulbs add a softness to the space and help enhance the rustic palette of the beautifully crafted timber table and chairs.

Whether you call them spheres, globes or orbs, this type of pendant lighting is, not surprisingly, characterised by its rounded shape. This luminous pendant lighting style has a definitive connection to the lighting styles of the 1950s era so it adds a lovely art deco touch to the space. The combination of white and brass adds elegance and ensures the kitchen bench is filled with light, and the wall and feature pendants over the dining table create symmetry, not to mention drama! Their fully diffused exterior also ensures the lighting is not too harsh, allowing the room to retain its ambience.

This Hamptons-style kitchen is beautifully enhanced with the addition of “lantern” or “caged” pendant lights, giving it a nostalgic, vintage feel. Their abstract shape adds a creative twist, as do the multi candle-like bulbs, which also help to enhance the light required for food prep on the island bench. Colour-wise they are a lovely feature too, as they add a visual connection with the timber legs on the stools and the unique geometric shape of the range hood.

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Here, the “bare” or “exposed” bulbs are encased in an open, opaque shade, which adds a contemporary, urban touch to this modern kitchen. They are also a unique way of highlighting a somewhat industrial-looking space, although their curved edges add a touch of softness. The matching suspension chains ensure a seamless finish, and the addition of multiple pendant lights ensures plenty of illumination for essential kitchen tasks. In terms of colour, white adds to the “clean” look and allows the unique ceiling to also catch the eye.

The bowl-shaped design of these pendant lighting amps up this kitchen’s contemporary design and gives it a functional, industrial-kitchen-type edge. Simple and functional, they are definitely a feature and extremely practical given their bulb-brightness and positioning above the island bench. Their matte silver finish enhances the non-traditional vibe and integrates seamlessly with the oven and range hood. And, being a neutral colour, they have allowed this home’s owner to add colour highlights with the cabinetry and fresh florals.

This is another bowl-shaped design that again performs its role as a task-oriented pendant light beautifully. Multiple lights cast direct illumination onto the benchtop, and their size creates an unmistakable style statement. But these are simply-shaped lights with a twist. An all-white kitchen allows the exterior greenery to up the “freshness” factor. But the yellow feature of the lights’ interiors and the addition of vibrant flowers ensures this is a space filled with sunshine and (no doubt) happiness.

This is a stylish example of a combination of “core” and “linear” pendant lighting with exposed bulbs encased in a simple yet stylish glass exterior. Linear pendants are “multi-light” fixtures that use a single elongated base to support several light sources, all in one row. In this example, there is no doubt that lighting is a priority. Its focus is on the practical areas of the kitchen – the sink and benchtop — and its design and colour palette add a contemporary and stylish touch to this compact, minimalist kitchen.

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