Pendants or track lighting?

14 years ago

I'm trying to make some decisions and keep busy while LITERALLY waiting for my ship to come in. I know pendants are SO popular for lighting over islands and I know I can find some really pretty ones to look really great in my space once it is complete. However, I'm worried about a few things:

1. Are most all pendants a downcast of light in a fairly small space?

2. Is there a minimum distance they should be hung from the counter top?

3. Will they look right in this space?

Here is my kitchen: stone will be put in with a 12 inch overhang breakfast bar, but layout is the same. The peninsula where the island will be is also my workspace. My concern is that there won't be enough light from pendants and it may be odd-like how would I hang them? Toward the work space or toward the breakfast area? In the middle? That seems stupid. It seems like a track would be much more functional as you can aim spots or floods at various places. Or would you do a pendant/track hybrid here? THe cans are on the INTERIOR of the workspace area as there was a set of upper cabinets above the peninsula that we removed.Also we have the issue of the ceiling fan that is nearby. In years to come that will probably be removed, but I don't want some monstracity of a light fixture above the peninsula AND the ceiling fan so close by.HELP!

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Comments (5)

Annie Deighnaugh
14 years ago
I think pendants would look fine. I think track lighting would be awful.

We have pendants over our island and they light the whole kitchen....much has to do with the shade...if it was, say, solid metal, it would only cast light down. But ours is transluscent so it lights the entire area. Further, it brings the source of the light closer to the counter so it can light even better. My GF has dark stained glass so it fundamentally lights down only...but hers is over her sink so that's all she needs.

Also, the pendants would give you a little visual break between the kitchen and the eat-in area which I thing would look nice. Further, it can be part of the jewelry of the room which makes the room sparkle.

Track can be most uncomfortable if you are sitting or standing where it is pointing at you. Also track, unless done purposely with modern design, can look dated.

If you were really unsure about the pendants, then putting recessed cans over the peninsula would be an alternative.
bahacca
Original Author
14 years ago
I'm a dufus and hadn't even thought about just continuing the cans!LOL That would prevent us from having to run a new electrical line as well if we just tap into the existing can network. Thanks!
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dseng
14 years ago
Since this is a peninsula without seating, I'd hang them at approximately 30-32 inches. If there was seating, I'd raise them up to 36-40 inches to keep them out of the line of sight of people seated at the counter. Pendants should look and work nicely over than peninsula.
tracie.erin
14 years ago
Why do you need a new electrical line for pendants?

I'm going to hang my pendants about in the middle of my island counter.. I mocked them up with balloons and string and taped them up with painter's tape. The balloons were blown up to the size of the pendant I thought I would get, then I played with their placement and distance from the counter until I was happy.

If that doesn't help you can do the cans. If you decide you want pendants later, they make those instant pendants that plug right into the old can spot.

Also - if you really intend to use that breakfast bar, note that NKBA guidelines state 15" overhang is the recommended minimum. A person in a seat takes the same amount of space regardless of the overhang, so by going less you will only accomplish making the sitters uncomfortable because they will have to hunch over to reach the counter. We are tall in my house, so I am going with 18" overhang.
bahacca
Original Author
14 years ago
Now that I think about it, my reasoning for wanting the pendants on a separate switch doesn't apply to my kitchen. My husband is the one who wanted the separate switch, but he is basing it off of his mothers house which has a LARGE island where the sitting area is separate from the prep area and the pendants only light the eating space, NOT the prep area. 99 times out of 100, I'll need that space lit, so I should just tie them into the can line.
tracie.erin-I have a wetbar with seating and the overhang there is a mere 8.5 inches, so we know for us, 12 inches will suffice just fine. Odds of us moving in the next 15-20 years are extremely unlikely, so we are doing this for US, not resale.
I'll have to use your balloon trick for the pendants. My girls will get a kick out of it.