How high are the ceilings? That will make a big difference in the suggestions.

Great question.. sorry I left that out. They are 11'4.

I would stick with the smaller 17" diam version, but maybe get three instead of two. Center the middle one over the island, and evenly space the other two, leaving about six inches of space from the end of the fixture to the end of the island on either side.

Thank you for your advice. I was trying to avoid using three pendants. I like the look of two large statement fixtures. I thought I was achieving that with the two 17 inch lights, but now that the house is up and I can visualize it more, it looks like the two might be too small. Do you think the two larger ones would look nice? They are 24 wide x 34 high. Or do you think the two 17 inch lights would work? I am at such a loss! We have only a few days before dry wall goes up so I really have to figure out the position of everything now. Thank you so much!

If you're set on only two, I would go larger. The design rule of thumb is to use odd numbers for repetitive design elements like pendant lights, but certainly there is room for personalization. Good luck!

Thank you so much for your advice!