Thank you for your question. These are a bit unique as there are many of them, the emitted light is low, and we used them for more ambiance... thus they were installed as a feature and very in height above the counter.

In general, I would say for pendant lights over an island it will depend on several factors:

• The actual light fixture (how big, how much light, and transparency thru the fixture... solid shade vs glass)
• How the light is emitted from the fixture (up, down, 360, etc)
• The space around the island (any view lines or sight issues)
• How many fixtures (this will effect the amount of light)
• Activities on the island (task lighting vs ambient or both)

With that being said, we typically start around 30" above the working surface and adjust for all the items above. One great way to test is to fill balloon(s) with helium to the approximate size of the fixture and test. Adjust the ribbon length to move the balloon up or down and at the same time you can see how many will look good over the counter. This will give you a great visual and not cost much at all.

I hope that helps. Thanks again.