A good lighting showroom should be able to help you with this - there will be lots of options and your choice is likely to depend on your anticipated use of the island or specific areas on it. Different bulbs and fittings will give different spread of light which, in turn, will be further affected by the height of the bulb above the working surface. As you won't want to be working in your own shadow you will most likely want a wide lighting angle so it will be a nearby bulb, not the one above you, which gives your task lighting. I'm not sure where you're based but Thompsons Lighting in Larne, Co Antrim (www.thompsonslighting.co.uk) are very helpful and knowledgeable.

Over a 1.6 mtr Island I would go for just the 2 as there is no Appliances in it spacing should be approx. 900mm centre to centre which would give 350mm centre to edge of island. the 3 pendants look good over the table but 3 might be a bit busy over an Island, one other thing to consider tho is the output of each light and if low output then maybe 3 could be better but without that information it is a bit hit and miss. Do you have downlights too , all these various elements go to towards the spread of light , so very little shadowing is best.

Hi. Yes, our first fix electrics are already in. Although, in theory, we should have been able to leave exact positioning until after the units were fitted (mid May), our ceiling is quite complicated: We have a hidden steel running down the centre of the room. So they have made special fixings in the ceiling, so that the pendants can still be fixed in the (hopefully!) best positions... We have one in the centre, then one equidistant between the centre and each end of the island. I think that should be ok. So they are about 750mm centres I think. They are slightly off centre, width ways, away from the hob side. Yes, too many big decisions. Not sure that I have made all of them right, but we are getting there. Current hold up are the bifolds, windows and doors. They are plaster boarding and plastering everything except for the reveals, but can’t finish or start the flooring until the windows are in. It’s giving me a bit longer to either about wall and kitchen cabinet colours 😱

Check the spec of the lights - it might be wise to avoid over the hob or at best use a rated lamp/light fitting that is capable of dealing with steam/vapour etc . Personally, I’d avoid putting anything over the hob.