I have always loved the idea of having a fun chandelier style of light over our kitchen island. We are not putting a chandelier (or any hanging light fixture) over our kitchen table. I want to be able to move the table around for parties and get togethers without having to worry about people bumping their heads.
I like the idea that the hanging light fixture over the island will add some drama and interest to the room. It would also add some visual weight to that end of the room and create a little separation between the great room / dining / living area and the great room / kitchen / working area.
Rob is worried about the glare from the lights if we go with a true chandelier (and I actually agree with him on that point), so the actual style of light fixture is still up for discussion but before we choose the actual light fixture we need to decide how many lights to install.
I've created a couple of drawings that are supposed to represent the kitchen. The walls are grey. The base and wall cabinets are white. The island is brown (and will be 6' wide in real life). The hood is the "box" that is offset from the rest of the wall cabinets and goes all the way to the ceiling. The light fixtures are represented by the yellow oval and blue line. Even though it doesn't quite look like it in this image the island is actually centered in the room. I would have liked to have the cooktop and hood centered on the island, but functionally that didn't work as well. In this contest between Form vs Function - Function Wins.
Here are the three choices.
#1 - One large fixture. This would be between 24" and 30" in diameter and would probably end up being quite a bit taller than the image below represents (this oval is about 24" wide and 12" tall). This would create the most visual weight and interest in the room. When I started the design in my head this was how I WAS going to go. I WAS going to talk Rob into it and pull Whatever strings I needed to to make it happen.
#2 - Two medium fixtures. These would be between 12" and 18" in diameter (these ovals are about 12" and are about 8" tall). They would also be taller than I drew them. As I looked at fixtures in stores and online I started leaning towards this option. I like the styles available in this size, I liked the idea of simplifying the "bling" just a bit, but still having some character and interest.
#3 - Three small pendants. These would be between 8" and 10" in diameter (these are about 10"). These would offer the least visual weight in the room, but the fact that there are three of them would still create a sense of separation between areas.
Visually this option actually turns out to be my favorite (which surprised me!) I'm a little worried that if I go with three small pendants I will be a little disappointed that I didn't get to use something with a little more character and interest (or, to be honest, "bling").
Too add another dimension to the discussion,
this is the overhead view so you can see how the lights fill up the space.
I would love to hear your opinions.
5 comments:
Have you thought of an island chandelier? they almost triangular in shape, with a single fixed point on the top and then spreading out to two or three lights below in a row. Some of them can be really cool looking. Here is an example of how they're built, but there's as many different styles as there are houses:
http://maximlighting.com/zoom/zoom.aspx?itemid=22307PN
I also love the small pendant look. I think the hanging lines add such a nice upward motion that make your ceilings look ginormous. And I don't think it cuts back on character, especially if you find something that has some unique characteristics.
One important thing to remember is that you can never have too much light. Most decorators recommend three types of lights in your main living spaces: your ambient light from can lights or other such sources, your ornamental light from chandeliers or pendants, and then your floor lights from lamps. While it is nice to not bonk your head whenever you move around the table, make sure you have plenty of lights over your table so that you can still see your meal!
Hm. I like either the 2 or 3 fixture option. The 2 fixtures could be a nice compromise between the options. All good ones though, and I'm sure you'll figure out which one you like best! :)
Oh that is tricky. We have one large fixture over our island. It is wired into the can that lines up directly above the island. Our island is 4x5' so smaller than yours. Our fixture is a large metal oval with 4 small lamps (shaded with 4" traditional shades) coming off each side and two down spots in the middle. It hangs off two chains that meet at the top. I like the presence it has in the room and I like the variety of lighting it provides. I can turn on just one or both of the down spots, just the little lamps, or all the lights together. It is also on a dimmer so we can have soft "lamp like" light with dark early morning breakfast at the bar. I do a lot of food prep on the island so I love and need those down spots.
Bottom line, my advice is if you can find one big fixture that has both up and down pointing light and is something you love (blingy!!) do it! If you can't find one that you like, I also like the look of 3 pendants hanging as long as they spread enough light to the edges of your island. I've been drooling over various decoration ideas at houzz.com
I like the two pendants that we have over our island, although they could be more blingy. I think for light, you'd be better off with two. They'd be a bit bigger, but still cover the area from end to end.
Thanks for your comments. I'm leaning towards two lights right now. Rob prefers the three smaller pendants.
It's funny how an idea morphs and changes as other decisions are made that impact the overall look and feel of the room (and the budget - HAH).
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