In short
Lighting designers hang pendants about 76 to 91 cm (30 to 36 in) above a kitchen island, and most interior designers use the same range over a dining table, a little higher under a tall ceiling. Space several pendants evenly, about 60 to 80 cm apart, and choose a fitting half to two-thirds the width of the table.
The light over a dining table or a kitchen island does more than any other to set the mood of a room. Hung well, it pools light on the table, draws people in and leaves their faces clear. Too high and it floats away from the table. Too low and it blocks the view across it and shines into people’s eyes.
The designers who hang these lights for a living don’t all agree. Ten of them give a height below, in their advice to Homes & Gardens, Livingetc and Remodelista. Others add how many pendants to hang, how far apart and how big, and we give our own view where they leave a gap.
How high should a pendant hang over a dining table?
Most designers land between 76 and 91 cm (30 and 36 in) from the tabletop to the bottom of the light. The interior designer Susan Sutter told Homes & Gardens that this is the range over a standard 76 cm (30 in) table, as long as the light blocks nobody’s view. The designer Mead Quin told Livingetc that about 86 cm (34 in) creates intimacy around the table, and that a light hung much higher feels separate from it. Simon Temprell, an interior design manager, told Homes & Gardens to keep the bottom of the light just above eye line.
Others go lower or higher. The lighting designer Brendan Ravenhill suggests 61 to 81 cm (24 to 32 in) over a tabletop in his studio’s guide for Remodelista. The interior designer Kristen Pena prefers 91 to 107 cm (36 to 42 in), so the light still clears the eye line of someone standing to talk.
Be in the room when the light goes up. The interior designer Amy Forshew insists on being there when the electrician hangs it, and the interior designer Phillip Thomas checks a chandelier from both a standing and a sitting position. For a table you mostly sit at, under a ceiling of about 2.4 m, we’d start at 76 to 86 cm and adjust by eye.
How high to hang pendants over a kitchen island
An island is a worktop first, so its light has to work as well as look good. Brendan Ravenhill gives 76 to 91 cm (30 to 36 in) above a countertop, and the designer Russell Pinch told Livingetc that pendants over an island or a dining table sit 71 to 91 cm (28 to 36 in) above the surface.
The lighting designer Sally Storey judges it by eye rather than by tape. Homes & Gardens’ guide to light sizing says pendants over a counter can hang lower than a light in a living room, and quotes her caveat that they should still be “above eye level when standing”. The guide starts at about 81 to 92 cm (32 to 36 in) above the counter, and Livingetc’s rule of thumb is never lower than 90 cm.
Always measure from your own worktop. The NKBA, the American association of kitchen and bath designers, plans standard counters at 914 mm (36 in) and raised counters at 1067 mm (42 in), so a raised bar sits 15 cm closer to the light. If you cook at the island, we’d hang towards the lower end of the range. In an open-plan room, where the shades sit in the view across the kitchen, we’d keep to the higher end.
Let the ceiling height guide you
The gap is measured from the surface below, but designers widen it as the ceiling rises so the light stays in scale with the room. Brendan Ravenhill moves to the top of his ranges under a tall ceiling. The interior designer Noelle Parks told Homes & Gardens that rooms with ceilings of 8 to 10 ft (2.4 to 3 m) take 91 to 107 cm (36 to 42 in) above the table, and Tracy Morris uses 91 cm (36 in) under an 8 ft ceiling and 102 to 107 cm (40 to 42 in) under a 10 ft one.
The kitchen designer Tom Howley works down from the ceiling instead. In Homes & Gardens he suggests pendants hang 30 to 51 cm (12 to 20 in) below a 2.4 m ceiling, and about 8 cm (3 in) lower for each extra 30 cm of height. We’d use his rule as a check in a low room.
Where people walk under a light, Ravenhill has it end 213 cm (7 ft) above the floor under a standard ceiling, and 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 in) higher for each extra foot; over a table or island nobody walks underneath. In a tall dining room, Homes & Gardens suggests a chandelier with two or three tiers, and we’d also look at a cluster such as the TURBEN cluster rather than lifting a small pendant into the void.
Get the scale right
Sally Storey warns that a small pendant in a big room looks mean, and Homes & Gardens finds fittings are more often too small than too big. Over a dining table, Homes & Gardens’ guide and Brendan Ravenhill both give a fitting about half to two-thirds the width of the table, large enough to draw the eye without overpowering it. The interior designer Emma Sims-Hilditch encourages clients to be brave with scale under a high ceiling, and finds a globe looks especially good oversized.
The shape of the table decides the rest. The interior designer Raili Clasen told Homes & Gardens that a single round pendant over a long table leaves both ends out, so she’d choose a linear fitting that spans its length. On a round or square table we’d use one large pendant, and on a long table a linear fitting such as the BROCK bar pendant, or a pair.
How many pendants over an island, and how far apart?
Two or three is usual, but there is no fixed number. The kitchen designer Helen Parker told Homes & Gardens “don’t be set on the three lights over an island combination”, and the kitchen designer Melissa Klink told Homebuilding & Renovating that two well-spaced pendants look better than three squeezed together. Sally Storey finds several smaller pendants work well over a kitchen or a dining area.
For spacing, Brendan Ravenhill gives 61 to 81 cm (24 to 32 in) between lights over a counter, with the outer fittings at least 15 cm (6 in) from the ends. Tom Howley also keeps the end pendants about 15 cm inside the edge, with equal distances between them, and the designer Richard Moore adds that the whole island should be lit, with an overall look of symmetry. Our own method follows from that: divide the island into as many equal sections as you have pendants and hang one in the middle of each, then check the centres fall inside Ravenhill’s range.
Pendants set the mood, so add light to work by
Most pendants are decorative first. The NKBA’s planning guidelines recommend that every work surface is well lit by task lighting. The lighting designer Estefania Marquez told Homebuilding & Renovating that most pendants will not give ideal task light over an island and should be paired with low-glare downlights. Piero de Marchis told Livingetc that decorative pendants over an island should be filled in with focused spotlights, so the worktop has no shadows. That gives an island two settings: everything on for cooking, then the spotlights off and the pendants dimmed for the evening.
In our view a row of small glowing shades such as the ALMA alabaster spheres is mood light; our piece on how light moves through stone explains why alabaster glows.
Pendant heights and spacing at a glance
| Situation | Height or spacing | Who says so |
|---|---|---|
| Over a dining table | 76 to 91 cm (30 to 36 in) above a 76 cm table | Susan Sutter, Homes & Gardens |
| Over a table, ceilings of 2.4 to 3 m (8 to 10 ft) | 91 to 107 cm (36 to 42 in) | Noelle Parks, Homes & Gardens |
| Over a kitchen island | 76 to 91 cm (30 to 36 in) above the worktop | Brendan Ravenhill, Remodelista |
| Between several pendants | 61 to 81 cm (24 to 32 in) | Brendan Ravenhill, Remodelista |
| End pendants | At least 15 cm (6 in) inside the ends of the island | Brendan Ravenhill; Tom Howley, Homes & Gardens |
| Size of a fitting over a table | Half to two-thirds of the table’s width | Homes & Gardens; Brendan Ravenhill |
| Where people walk underneath | 213 cm (7 ft) from the floor, more under a tall ceiling | Brendan Ravenhill, Remodelista |
How it works out with our pendants
Three pendants over a long island. On an island 240 cm long with a 91 cm worktop, three TURBEN pendants with 30 cm shades divide it into 80 cm sections. Their centres sit 80 cm (31 in) apart, at the top of Ravenhill’s range, and each outer shade ends 25 cm inside the island. Hung 76 to 91 cm above the worktop, the shades finish 167 to 182 cm from the floor.
Three small spheres over a shorter island. On an island 180 cm long, three 12 cm ALMA spheres hang 60 cm (24 in) apart, the bottom of Ravenhill’s range, with the outer two 30 cm from the ends. The ALMA page suggests two or three spheres in a row, at one drop, for an island.
One ring over a dining table. For a table 180 by 90 cm, half to two-thirds of the width means a round fitting 45 to 60 cm across. The 60 cm ANELLI circular pendant is the size its page suggests for dining tables, hung 76 to 86 cm above the top. The 118 cm BROCK, the length its page gives for six to eight seat tables, is the linear alternative.
Test it before the cable is cut
Ceiling height, minus the height of the worktop or table, minus the gap you want, gives the distance from the ceiling to the bottom of the light. Take away the height of the shade and you have the length of the suspension. Our lighting guide has a calculator for this. The ALMA hangs on a 2 m adjustable cable and the ANELLI on a 1.5 m one, while the TURBEN and CANITE have their cord length chosen when you order, from 100 to 400 cm.
The designer Vittorio Asaro told Livingetc that he has clients cut a piece of cardboard the size of the fitting to judge its proportions in the room. We’d also hang it on string at the planned height for a day before the drop is fixed.
Don’t forget the dimmer
Phillip Thomas reminded Homes & Gardens readers not to forget one over the table, and Brendan Ravenhill’s studio names the lights over the dining table as one of the key places for a dimmer. Over an island, we’d give the pendants their own dimmer, apart from the task lighting. In our range, the ANELLI pendant is dimmable, the TURBEN is dimmable with a dimmable bulb, and the ALMA and SKIVE pendants are not dimmable.
New wiring is a job for a qualified person. Electrical Safety First, the UK’s electrical safety charity, recommends a registered electrician, who will certify the work to the national wiring standard. For bathrooms, our guide to bathroom lighting and IP ratings covers the zones.
Quick answers
How high should pendant lights be above a kitchen island?
About 76 to 91 cm (30 to 36 in) from the worktop to the bottom of the shade, the range Brendan Ravenhill gives, while staying above standing eye level.
How high should a pendant hang over a dining table?
Most interior designers use 76 to 91 cm (30 to 36 in) above the table, a little more under a tall ceiling. Check it sitting down.
How many pendants should go over a kitchen island?
Usually two or three. Helen Parker warns against defaulting to three, and two well-spaced pendants look better than three crowded ones.
How far apart should pendants be over an island?
Brendan Ravenhill gives 61 to 81 cm (24 to 32 in) between them, with the outer pendants at least 15 cm (6 in) in from the ends.
What size pendant suits a dining table?
About half to two-thirds the width of the table, according to Homes & Gardens and Brendan Ravenhill, or a linear fitting over a long table.
Do I need an electrician to hang a pendant light?
Yes. Electrical Safety First recommends a registered electrician, who will certify the work.
Sources
- Homes & Gardens: How far above a table should a light hang?. Susan Sutter, Simon Temprell, Amy Forshew, Noelle Parks, Tracy Morris and Phillip Thomas on height over a table, ceiling height and dimmers.
- Livingetc: What’s the correct light height over a dining table?. Mead Quin and Kristen Pena on height over a table.
- Remodelista: How high to hang or mount a light?. Brendan Ravenhill on height over a table and a counter, spacing, the ends, size against the table, and clearance where people walk.
- Homes & Gardens: Light sizing. Sally Storey on pendants above standing eye level and smaller pendants in multiples; the 81 to 92 cm starting point; half to two-thirds of the table; Emma Sims-Hilditch on scale; tiered chandeliers for tall rooms.
- Livingetc: Lighting Rules to Know Before You Put Up Any New Fixtures. Russell Pinch on height over an island or table; Vittorio Asaro on testing scale with cardboard.
- Homes & Gardens: Kitchen island lighting ideas. Tom Howley on height from the ceiling and the end pendants; Helen Parker on the number of pendants; Richard Moore on lighting the whole island.
- Livingetc: Kitchen Island Lighting Ideas. No lower than 90 cm above the work surface; Piero de Marchis on adding spotlights to pendants.
- Homes & Gardens: Lighting a dining room. Raili Clasen on a linear fitting over a long table.
- Homebuilding & Renovating: Lighting a kitchen island. Melissa Klink on two pendants against three; Estefania Marquez on pairing pendants with downlights.
- Remodelista: The Best LED Light Bulbs. Brendan Ravenhill’s studio on dimmers over the dining table.
- NKBA: Kitchen Planning Guidelines. Counter and raised counter heights, table height, task lighting over every work surface.
- Electrical Safety First: Part P of the Building Regulations explained. Using a registered electrician.
Images: Product photographs and diagrams are our own.
