The best kitchen island lighting options for every home

Your kitchen is one of your favourite rooms. And with some creative lighting ideas, you can help it look its best and fulfil its function.

Kitchens are where families congregate at mealtimes or a special place that helps you destress as you create solo culinary creations. Whatever purpose it serves for you, kitchen lighting is important as it’s one of the rooms you’re likely to spend the majority of your time in. The most suitable kitchen island lighting can take your kitchen layout from ordinary to magazine worthy.

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The centrepiece

Kitchen islands are generally the hallmark of a spacious, functional room. They offer a visually pleasing design aspect and provide a functional purpose as well. Depending on your lighting and aesthetic needs, you may want to choose lighting that creates a spotlight effect above the island or one which lends itself to blending in with the rest of the room. 

Well-lit kitchens are essential for food preparation and dining, but it’s also significant if the kitchen is also the place you entertain. Many new property developments follow an open plan interior rule with the kitchen flowing seamlessly into incorporating the dining room. This can make for a beautiful eye-catching focus on the island as the gathering place for food prepping, serving or display purposes. 

What goes up must shine down

Consider the fixtures above your kitchen island as the first step in deciding what lighting to install. Do you have cabinets or a hob above the island or do you have just your ceiling to work with? Think about getting downlights installed within the cabinets or hob to reflect on the island below so you always have ample and focused lighting to work with. 

Practicality vs. beauty

Think of the many lighting options for your kitchen island as accessories that complement a well-rounded design. This will depend on factors such as; the size of your kitchen, surface area of the island, the amount of illumination you require and how it will reflect on your kitchen cupboards. These ideas will accommodate most kitchen interiors: 

• Don’t change a thing! If you like a more neutral approach and don’t want your island to stand out from the rest of the kitchen, use the same lighting fixtures as installed in the rest of the room. This will create cohesiveness and not draw attention to an individual spot.
• Get fancy with a chandelier. If you’re the complete opposite and want your kitchen island to be a total showstopper, chandeliers are a modern yet classic approach to lighting techniques. They can be opulent so it’s important to choose one that integrates with the general lighting and decor aesthetic. 
• Go bare with exposed lightbulbs. Hanging contemporarily styled lightbulbs as pendants from your ceiling is a great way of adding a minimal feel to a room while maximising the lighting potential. 
• Brighten it up with a pop! There are many colourful lighting fixtures that will add a cheerful feel to your kitchen interior. Go with a shade that contrasts with the kitchen island to make this lighting element stand out even more. 
• Go big or go home. Experiment with larger lampshades and fixtures that are either equal to the size of your kitchen island or bigger than it. This works well with a spacious kitchen and dining room and lends an air of quirkiness and professional design flair with well-balanced proportions.

Kitchen island lighting FAQs

1. What kind of light goes over a kitchen island? 

The type of light fixtures you choose to go over the island is entirely up to you, but the most common are individual spotlights from the ceiling or well-placed downlights from a cabinet. These offer a great amount of brightness and do not interfere with the rest of the design as much as other options would. 

2. How many lights should be on a kitchen island? 

Ideally, three bold pendant lights are visually appealing. If your island requires more illumination then you can even out the number according to your preference. There’s also the option of adding extra illumination by installing lighting underneath the countertop. It lights up the bottom of the island as a design feature. These reverse counter lights make materials like marble and varnished wood kitchen islands really stand out.

3. How do I light my kitchen island? 

Consider how your kitchen island is used. Do you use it as a multi-purpose breakfast nook or dining room table? How about as a work-from-home spot? If so, you want to choose lighting options that won’t get in the way of seating while still providing adequate light for eating or working. 

4. How big should a kitchen island light be?

If you’d like to make a statement and live for over the top interiors, choosing a kitchen island lighting option that’s larger than the countertop would be a bold move. Smaller fixtures are sophisticated and take up less real estate in your overall kitchen design. 

Brighten up your living with Seeff

No matter the style of kitchen island lighting you choose, it has to be inspired by your personality and tastes (pun intended). The kitchen truly is the heart of the home and worth investing that little extra to make it as inviting and aspirational as possible. Seeff’s home experts have years of experience in perfecting the ideal aesthetic no matter how conservative or eclectic your preferences may be. 

Contact us today and let our team assist in finding the property you’ve been searching for.