Choosing Kitchen Island Pendant Lights
Choosing the right pendant light for your kitchen island can be daunting. With so many options on the market, it's easy to get lost in the sea of designs, styles, and sizes. In this blog post, we'll look closer at the quality and craftsmanship of our range of wood beam lights and why they could be the perfect choice to light up your kitchen island.
A linear timber pendant light can be an excellent choice for functionality and style when lighting your kitchen island. However, choosing the correct fitting can be tricky, as several factors come into play, such as the size of your island, the height of your ceiling, and your taste.
Consider the size of your island.
The size of your island is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing the size of your pendant. If your island is large, you may need a wider pendant to light the space adequately. A small fitting over a large kitchen surface can get lost and provide no visual impact. We offer a range of standard sizes from 1.2m to 1.5m (47¼" to 59"). We can also customise our lights to almost any size you require.
Top tip: Getting a real-world idea can help. Hold a length of timber or cardboard in the place your light will hang to help visualise what a specific-sized beam light might look like in your space once installed.
What height should my fitting hang?
Finding the optimal spot for your beam to hang is something to consider. Closer to the surface will provide more direct light, while further away will allow the light to spread more and not be as focused. There are no hard-and-fast rules for where a light fitting should hang, but a good rule of thumb is to start somewhere around 1.8m (72") from the floor to the base of the fitting. Once you are there, you can move your pendant around to find the perfect spot that visually works best in your space. The ceiling height will dictate how much chain you need to hang your linear light fitting. Our chain suspension method will allow you to fine-tune the positioning once in situ, giving you complete control over its appearance.
Top tip: Always order a little extra chain; it's easier to chop some off rather than add some on!
Consider Your Personal Preferences
Ultimately, the visual impact and brightness you need from your kitchen island pendant light will depend on your aesthetic preferences and the task.
Do you have supplementary light from downlights in the ceiling, or is this the only light source?
Do you need clean, bright light to prepare food under, or do you want to sit around and socialise in a warmer, cosy environment at the end of an evening?
The great news is that our pendants are fully dimmable, allowing you to choose optimal brightness for task lighting and dimmed brightness for ambience.
Top tip: Think about the job your light is doing. Do you need the fitting to provide light to work under? Is it the room's primary light source? Or, is it a fitting to create ambience and space to socialise under?
Colour Temperature
Colour temperature is another important consideration when it comes to LED light strips. Colour temperature refers to the perceived warmth or coolness of the light, measured in Kelvins (K). A lower Kelvin value (2200K - 3000K) produces a warm, ambient light, while a higher Kelvin value (4000K-5000K) produces a cleaner 'white' light closer to daylight and is perfect for task lighting. Little Anvil's Timber Beam Pendant Lights use LED light strips with a choice of colour temperatures between 3000K and 4000K.
If you are still confused about creating ambience with LED, check out our handy blog post here!
If all the tech jargon about LED blows your mind, this post will answer any questions!
Top tip: Our LED colour temperature options provide the same lumens (brightness) output, so warmer doesn't mean 'less bright'!
Design and Functionality
Little Anvil's Timber Beam Lights are not just about design; they offer versatility and create a statement. Available in various designs and sizes, they are suitable for any kitchen island. Whether you prefer a simple, minimalist fitting or something more rustic and industrial, Little Anvil has a pendant light to suit your project.
Contact us with any questions or queries about custom builds.