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secondhalf_gw

Pendant above island with 8 foot ceilings?

secondhalf
11 years ago

Hi everyone- I'm becoming co-dependent on you people. Is that a symptom of TKO?

Is it a bad idea to put pendant lights above an island when we don't have high ceilings? They're only 8 feet in the kitchen (though the adjacent family room has cathedral ceilings) and I don't want to accentuate the fact that my ceilings are low. Opinions? Anyone willing to share pics?

Comments (75)

  • aokat15
    11 years ago

    No problem!

  • secondhalf
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I am constantly awed by all the mistakes I would be making if it weren't for all the tips on this site.

    Aokat-I looked at all your kitchen pics- what a beautiful job. I've been looking for a black amd white granite- yours is stunning. Do you mind telling me what it's called?

  • aokat15
    11 years ago

    Thanks so much, secondhalf! My tops are Donna Sandra Marble, but they are very similar to the Super White granite that I've seen in other kitchens on here so I think there may be other names/similar stones out there. Hope this helps - good luck!

  • annkathryn
    11 years ago

    Thanks leela4!

  • leela4
    11 years ago

    You're welcome, annkathryn.

  • CEFreeman
    11 years ago

    slonewby, I love those gorgeous pendants. May I ask where...?

    Folks, how high about the peninsula did you hang your pendants? That's the only reason I haven't installed mine yet. I can't decide how low.

    Thanks!

  • bonesoda
    11 years ago

    What is the distance between the siland top to the bottom of the pendant for most of you guys... i have read up here 33 and 30" so far.

    Also the distance between each pendant?

  • CEFreeman
    11 years ago

    jmith, I read that as above a table, not a countertop, which is much higher.

    I can't find any recommendations online, but I like what people have come up with here.

    Someone?

  • badgergal
    11 years ago

    CEFreeman: I have 3 pendants over my irregular shaped island. The bottom of the pendant over the sink is 36 inches from the countertop. The bottoms of the other 2 are 30 inches above the countertop. My pendants are only 6 inches high. I raised the center pendant up 6 inches so it would be obvious that it was supposed to be higher and not an installation mistake. I thought the one above the sink should be higher to accommodate my DH who is 6ft. 3 in. tall. Didn't want him to feel like the pendant was in his face while standing at the sink. The 30 inch high pendant height seems fine to me. If you want them higher they will look fine too. I have a picture posted above so know you know what the heights are fot those pendants.

  • CEFreeman
    11 years ago

    Thank you! That's the picture I was looking at, but without perspective, it doesn't tell me!

    I can't wait to get mine up.

    Christine

  • bonesoda
    11 years ago

    @CEFreeman: Sorry i meant from counter to bottom of pendant (island countertop -- if the island is tiered from the lower countertop).

    I suppose it depends on the pendant and between 30-36" seems to be the ideal range. It would also depend on how large the pendants are so they don't look stubby if they are mounted too high.

  • ikeltz
    11 years ago

    Dragonfly08 I love your pendant lights. I have the same predicament. What is the total length of your lights? The ones I want are similar, but they say the minimum length is 28 inches. Where did you get your lights? Sorry for all of the questions.

  • Jay Cornell
    9 years ago

    I think pendants are definitely OK with 8' ceilings, but the ones we ordered are a little longer than I envisioned. Once we received them in the mail I got a little concerned that they wouldn't work. What do you guys think? Below is a rendering I did with them plugged in 30" off the counter tops. Rendering is to scale and the actual shades are 19" long. We've also considered going form 5 to 3 of them on our 12' island. Thoughts?

    '

  • klcharles
    9 years ago

    Beautiful kitchen. Lovely lights. If it were me I'd scale down to 3 pendants. They look a little close together now and with 3, each one would stand out and be admired!


  • PRO
    Stacey Brawner Interiors
    9 years ago

    I would drop to 3 as well!

  • vivian str
    7 years ago

    We too have 8' ceilings and want brushed nickel pendants on rods with frosted white glass that hang around 26" in total length. Any suggestions?

  • mharon
    6 years ago

    Not sure if anyone is still following this thread...

    I posted this morning that I have 3 Kichler Everly medium size pendants to go over our island. The island is just under 4ft wide x 8ft. long. Our ceiling height is 92".

    The glass portion of these pendants is 15.75" and the width is 10.5". If I use only 1 6" stem to hang these pendants, would it look funny proportion wise? Unfortunately, they only come with 6" & 12" stems...using 6" would give us about 33" from bottom of pendant to top of island counter. I love the pendants but if this doesn't work I may have to rethink/reorder before electrician comes back later this week :-(


    Thanks!

  • Gloria
    6 years ago

    How did your lighting situation work out for you? I have a 4'x6' island and 8 foot ceilings. I think i am looking at the same size Everly lights you are describing. How may did you use and how low did you hang them? I didn't think this would be such a difficult decision!! Can you share a photo? Many thanks!

  • rebeccamomof123
    6 years ago

    My ceilings are much less than 8ft and I went with small, white glass pendants.

  • mharon
    6 years ago

    Gloria - We love the pendants. Used only one small section of the rods that come with them since our ceilings are 7'9". Still leaves plenty of room between bottom of fixture & island top

  • Chris
    6 years ago

    8 ft ceilings over here


  • Gloria
    6 years ago

    MHaron,

    Thanks for the photo...the pendants look lovely over your island. In your opinion do you think 3 pendants over a 6 foot island is too many or would you do 2?

    Or what would you think about 2 of the larger pendants that are 20.5" high x 13.75" wide? Do you think they might hang too low even if using the shortest rod? Thanks!!

  • mharon
    6 years ago

    Our island is 8ft long so we felt 3 looked better than 2 based on the medium size. 2 large would have been too spaced apart for our taste. Try outlining where the pendants would be placed if you went with 2 and make sure you measure the depth of both med and large pendants to see how far from top of island they would hang

  • Renae Geimer
    6 years ago

    Mharon we are looking at the same pendants. Our island is 6' long and we have low ceilings as well. I'm curious how you like the glass? Are they too bright to look at?

  • carolans
    6 years ago

    mharon, which size rod did you use 12" or 6"? thank you in advance

  • mharon
    6 years ago

    Went with 12" which I think was the medium size.

  • lclifton
    6 years ago

    mharon, very pretty. We are adding the same fantasy brown counters and looking for pendants for our low ceiling. What brand are yours?

  • carolans
    6 years ago

    why thank you! They are by Quoizel. Called Morroco. I have the smaller size 10" wide 13.5" hieight. There is also one 15.57 wide 21.5" height but I couldn't do them with 8 ft ceilings. I wish I had done a cut out above the island in the ceiling to had height. I suppose I still could do it, right!?

  • mharon
    6 years ago

    Hi Clifton,

    The pendants we used above fantasy brown island were the Kichler Everly pendants in medium size.

  • carolans
    6 years ago

    Mharon & Clifton, my apologies! I love that Kichler pendant too!!

  • Brian M
    6 years ago

    Mharon where did you get your pendant lights from? We are currently in our remodel and our ceiling are 7ft 8 inches (92 inches), we have a 12 ft island and our looking at 3 pendent lights,


    1. do you think with a 12 ft island there should be 4 lights since the lights themselve will have to be smaller?


    1. looking for sharp look but clear pendenat .


    1. those with low ceiling what was the distance between your counter top and bottom of light?
  • mharon
    6 years ago

    Brian M - The pendants we used were the Kichler Everly 11" pendants in clear glass. The formula I found online and used to determine size & quantity was:

    Island length - (# fixtures x diameter of each fixture)/4

    Space between fixtures should be larger than fixture diameter

    Bottom of fixture should be no lower than 28" above island top. We ended uo with 30" when we used the 6" rods that came with fixtures.

    Visually 3 fixtures is more eye appealing. There is a 14" Everly pendant if that works better for you.

    I ordered mine through Lighting New York but these pendants are available through many lighting websites so shop around for best price!

    Good luck!


  • Catherine
    5 years ago

    mharon....your kitchen is stunning:). I am ordering the same Everly pendants for mine, but in the dark bronze colour which will have clear seeded glass. . Did you end up using the 6 or 12 inch rod?? Your pic looks more like 12...but you were initially thinking if using 6 to have 33 inches between countertop and bottom of the pendants. What were your final finished measurements? Does part of the rod end up being recessed into either the ceiling or light fixture itself?

  • Meghan Steward
    4 years ago

    dragonfly08 & Chris - loveeeee both your lighting setups. Can you tell me where they are from including dining room light Chris? Thanks!!!!


  • Chris
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    @Meghan Steward thanks!! The pendants are from Currey Co and they are really pretty- I love the inside details:



  • Chris
    4 years ago

    Oh the fixture over my table is also from Currey Co


  • kay
    3 years ago

    Chris, love your kitchen and lighting looks fantastic!

  • Chris
    3 years ago

    Thanks so much Kay!

  • ARK Sj
    2 years ago

    @chris love the pendants! A couple years in.. are you still enjoying? What length rod did you use? Did you use 6", 12", 18"? How long is your island, and what color paint did you use?

  • Chris
    last year

    @ARK Sj yes still love them!! Our island is about 9' long and our paint was Grey Owl but I had it repainted to Swiss Coffee a couple of years ago. I think these are the 18" rods. From my ceiling to the bottom of the pendants is about 26"


  • Ashley Toaz
    last year

    @Chris are these 8 foot ceilings? do you have the link to find the pendants you used?

  • Ashley Toaz
    last year

    @mharon- do you have 8 foot ceilings? that looks like the Kichler pendant we are looking at!

  • mharon
    last year

    Our ceiling height is just under 8ft (92"). I love the look of these pendants but will say they are hard to keep clean!

  • Chris
    last year

    Ashley Toaz Yes they are 8' ceilings . The pendants are from Currey & Co. I think they are called Manuscript

  • jl017251r
    last year

    Chris, what counters did you use?

  • Chris
    last year

    @jl017251r My counters are carrera marble and they are honed

  • Renee C
    last year

    Chris - how far from the counter are your pendant lights (top of counter to bottom of pendant?). Your kitchen is stunning BTW.


  • Chris
    last year

    Thanks! it's about 36" from my counters to the bottom of the pendant

  • Renee C
    last year

    Chris
    Do you feel that they are too “high”? I keep getting feedback from everyone that my pendants look too high from the island (they are 34”)

    Also, what tiles did you use for your backsplash?

  • Chris
    last year

    No absolutely have never felt they are too high - I feel like lower would be annoying for conversation because when we host we routinely have people at the island while we are cooking and preparing , setting out food etc.


    I got our tiles from a local tile store- there wasn't a brand name on the box. it just said Made in Spain.

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