Kitchen Pendant Lighting

So exactly what is kitchen pendant lighting? By our definition, kitchen pendant lighting is a decorative lighting source which is suspended from ceilings by rods or chains.

Pendants bring lighting down to the places we need it most and they do so with attention-grabbing grace. We can't help but to admire them, even after the electricity is turned off!

Kichen pendant lighting continue to be one of the more popular lighting styles for the kitchen of today. They are a good way to add color and some bling to your home's most utilized space, without branking the bank!

That's one of the nicer things about kitchen pendant lighting: There are so many options!

When deciding upon the use of this particular kitchen lighting design you should ask yourself a couple of basic questions. Here some quick references to get you started.

The first question should be, "what am I going to be using this room for"? Such a simple question yet a very important one. Today's family utilizes every room of the house as a cross-functioning room. So the kitchen is no exception, it will be used for eating, cooking, paying bills, homework, just relaxing, ect...

Next, how much kitchen pendant lighting will be necessary to achieve my "look"?
Consider your style before making your selection. This is where your personality will come shinning through.

What size will I need?
This is determined by eactly where you plan to place the light- over the sink, dining room table, center island, work table, ect...

How bright should I go?
Once again this will vastly depend on what area of the kitchen you plan on lighting.

Finally, What's your budget?
You can almost always find what you want, including alternatives at lower prices. It just takes some time and effort well invested.

If you do a little planning ahead, then you'll know your lighting needs, after that, it's up to your style, taste and imagination. The sheer variety of styles, colors and designs makes kitchen pendant lighting a great option for almost any kitchen.

Here's a couple of great kitchen lighting tips on how to best use

Pendant lighting is little more than a bulb hidden under a shade swinging on the end of a cord. Yet there's a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and styles, ranging from 4-inch-diameter mini cylinders to massive 30-inch domes.

For example, in a great throw-back style, drum shades have returned, but with a new beat. These big, cylindrical shades come in a huge number of hot new fabrics and styles and with so many choices and variations to choose from, you'll find it hard to select just one.

What does a pendant light cost?
Prices do vary. Here's one example to consider, A 4-inch, colored-glass "mini" pendant from the home depot starts at $25; larger hand-wrought metal fixtures and ones with blown-glass shades can go for $500 and much, much more.

Open or closed shade?
Closed shades, such as a school-house-style opaque globes, soften light and hide the bulb. Shades that are open on the bottom create brighter spot lights beneath them; ones with open tops, such as a drum shades, also bounce light off the ceiling.

Install it yourself or hire a pro?
Swapping out an old lighting fixture is easy if you know basic wiring. But if your existing wires are brittle or you need to run electricity to a new spot, it would best adviced to call an electrician.

How much to spend?
This depends primarily on your design choice, the fuction and purpose of the light, and your budget. So if your planning on being cost concious, you may want to look into, for example, brushed nickel instead of a decorative chrome pendant.

Easy cleaning tip
Don't unscrew your glass shade—spritz it in place with chandelier spray. Just be sure to turn off the fixture and cover the area below it with newspaper to catch the dirty drips. Buy the spray at the hardware store or make your own. Here's a quick and easy home solution to cleaning your kitchen pendant lighting fixture.

Pour 1 tablespoon of automatic dishwasher detergent, ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol, and 1/3 cup of vinegar into a 32-ounce spray bottle, then fill with water. clean the pendant thoroughly and let dry before turning the light back on.

How many pendants will I need?
An odd number of fixtures—one, three, or five—generally looks better than an even number. Depending on the light placement such as over a kitchen island, space the fixtures evenly, typically 24 to 30 inches between the centers of the shades, for the best look.

How big of a pendant do I really need?
Take a good look at the size of the room. Scale the shade to the size of the room or its most prominent piece of furniture. Over a rectangular dining table, for instance, the shade diameter should equal the table's width minus 1 foot on either side, to create a visual buffer around it.

How bright of a light should I go?
For ambient lighting with incandescent bulbs, aim for 2 watts per square foot—that's 200 watts for a 10-by-10-foot room. Up the output by as much as 50 percent in rooms painted in saturated colors or that have dark-stained trim. For task pendant lighting, say over the desk in the kitchen corner, the rule of thumb is 15 watts per square foot. Don't be afraid of too much light; you can always install a dimmer.

So when it comes time to do a beautiful kitchen lighting design or re-design for the "hub of the home", remember, kitchen pendant lighting is not only cost effective, but beautiful, functional, and energy efficient.


Click Here! for more information on how to get the best design for your kitchen.

HERE'S WHAT THE PROS HAD TO SAY ABOUT KITCHEN

Pro Tip:"When hanging two or more pendants over a counter or table, space them so that each one's pool of light overlaps with its neighbor to prevent any dim spots." —Steven L. Klein, Lighting Designer, Milwaukee For visual harmony, let table size dictate the height—typically 33 to 36 inches above its top. Hang it on the high end of the range for a large table, the low end for a small one.

Pro Tip: "An outlet supported only by drywall can hold a 35-pound light. For a heavier pendant light up to 200 pounds—install a fan brace to span the distance between the nearest joists." —Brian S. Bergeron, master electrician, North Reading, Mass.

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