Types Of Kitchen Pendant Lights And How To Choose The Right One
Kitchens are the heart of every home; a place where families can get together after a long day to enjoy a home cooked meal and some light conversation with the ones they love the most. While there are many aspects that make a kitchen practical and comfortable, one of the most important parts of the design is the lighting you choose for the space. With so many options, it can be hard to pick the perfect light fixture while still remaining true to the interior design of your house. If you’re having a hard time narrowing down your options, we suggest picking something traditional and timeless, while at the same time providing both practicality and purpose.
Inspired by warehouse interior trends, pendant lighting has quickly become a popular choice in homes and kitchens across Australia. Simple yet unique and functional, pendant lighting incorporates elements of metal, glass and wood to create a stylish look that works well for minimalists and profligates alike.
Pendant lighting does it all, providing ambient lighting for multi-purpose and every day use, accent lighting to highlight specific areas and task lighting to focus on specific working areas in the kitchen. However, with so many options it can be hard to choose the right pendant lighting that complements the unique style of your home.
Which style of pendant lighting is best suited for your kitchen?
Make a statement with pendant lighting. Designed to hang from the ceiling, pendant lights are sometimes referred to as the ‘jewellery of lights’. Depending on the style, they can dominate a room or be a subtle addition to the overall environment. Whether you’re looking to add a decorative feature or a functional light source, pendant lightings are a quick fix for either situation.
The beauty of pendant lighting is its ability to adapt to many different designs. From coastal and contemporary to farmhouse and French country, pendant lighting is a popular choice, fitting right into any style home. Whether you’re building a brand new craftsman home or just looking to give your industrial kitchen a little bit of a refresh, pendant lighting is the perfect solution for any space.
Consider the type of lighting
When selecting lighting you will want to consider what you will be using the lighting for. Is it for all-purpose illumination and overall light? Or maybe you are looking for lighting to help illuminate specific tasks. Are you looking to highlight specific areas? Then consider accent lighting.
In order to attain these different categories of lighting, different style pendants will be required. For overall lighting, consider an open bottom pendant, to ensure a bright light that can be used to illuminate an entire kitchen without any assistance. Task lighting can be achieved with pendants that are open at the top to ensure the lighting underneath is not too harsh. Pick smaller pendants with darker shades to utilise accent lighting.
Pay close attention to the shape of your shade
Coming in a variety of shapes and sizes, a pendant shade is what makes or breaks the style of your lighting. But before choosing a pendant shade, it’s important to understand which shapes and sizes work best for your kitchen design.
Subtle and soft, globe pendant lighting can provide task lighting for benchtops. Cylinder pendants are slim and sleek. While not thought of as traditional primary light sources, usually in groups of three, this type of lighting works well for highly trafficked surfaces such as kitchen islands. Dome pendants on the other hand are designed to direct light downward. Perfect for hanging above your dining table, dome pendants work well as a primary light source.
Material and colour are very important
The material and colour of your pendant lighting depends more on the style of your home. Glass pendant lights often evoke early 20th century industrial lighting while still retaining the classic lines and exposed hardware of original pendant lighting styles. This style of lighting can work well in a variety of instances, including over a kitchen island or in the entryway of your kitchen.
As one of the most popular choices of metal thanks to its durability, copper pendant lights add both colour and balance to a space. Rustic, industrial, rugged metals are on trend in interior design today. Due to its broad appeal and versatility, copper pendant lighting is a great way to experiment with texture in your space. Hang one or three over your kitchen island or use copper pendant lights to add a bit of grit to your dining room.
Crystal pendant lighting is known for its elegance and luxury. Combining style and practicality, crystal pendant lighting works well in traditional spaces, but more and more designers are incorporating crystal lighting in a variety of home styles, including modern designs. Suspended by a single chain, this pendant lighting will add charm to any space, whether you choose to hang over your dining table or kitchen island.
If you’re going for a beachy coastal vibe, cane pendant lighting is the perfect vibe. Inspired by the contemporary Hamptons look, rattan cane pendant lighting combines whitewashed woods and transparent materials to enforce a light and bright environment. These pendants look great in pairs hanging above a kitchen island.
Shop with Ivory & Deene
Thinking about redesigning your outdated kitchen? Or maybe you’re building a brand new house and need some new lighting inspiration for the most important room of the house - the kitchen. Even if you’re just looking to give your kitchen a little refresh, pendant lighting is an absolute must.
Shop Ivory & Deene for unique ways to decorate your home. Since 2002, our family run business has been providing other families across Australia with stylish and affordable home goods that can be used throughout their home. If you are looking for a specific pendant light or have questions regarding our collection, don’t hesitate to reach out. Send our friendly team an email at hello@ivoryanddeene.com or give our office a call at (+61) 03 6776 1674.