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Lighting Kitchens Design Dilemma

HELP!! what do I do with my island pendants??

4 years ago

Soo... a dastardly ceiling joist got in the way of the extractor and it had to be moved over even further than I hoped.. now it’s mucked up the 3 pendants I was going to have!

Options

leave as is.. (uneven and not great)
lose the middle one and centre the end 2 to the middle of the extractor
lose all of them? (I just don’t really want to)
Move them so they’re in front of the extractor but then they’re right on the edge of the island!
something else??

Sorry about the darkness - electricity is off.. you can just see the wires hanging down if you look closely l!

Featured Answer

Lena

4 years ago

Yes, they will work over a dining table. I have a similar one hung above my round table, it looks great there.

Comments (24)

Tani H-S
4 years ago
Hi, we had the same issue when the previous electrician put the cables for the 3 pendants in the wrong place and we had to reconfigure it as a joist was in the way. Took me about 6 months to decide what to have, LOL.

I would either go for option 2 (have 2 pendants instead to the left)

OR

Have one cable on a multi light pendant to the left

OR

get a spider light fitting (they come in many different colours and you can add shades to them to make them more classic rather than industrial) and you can string the lights where you want them and they won’t look odd being uneven because that’s the style.
Gabby Wong
Original Author
4 years ago
Hahahaha I told the electrician I’d try and decide by lunch!! (There have been a lot of rapid decisions)

The idea of the 2 on the left isn’t a bad one! I’d thought about losing the one in the middle! But you’re right the one on the right is now way too far to the right!
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Gabby Wong
Original Author
4 years ago
Maybe centred to the extractor looking down the length of the island and the 2 on the left...

I know the other half isn’t keen on the spider lights, and with the beam in the way I think we’d struggle to have one hanging down with multi lights without it being really low... hmmmm
Gabby Wong
Original Author
4 years ago
There was one multi light pendant I really liked but the boy thought it looked messy... rolls eyes
Gabby Wong
Original Author
4 years ago
I think this at 1 end would look great... (he chooses to have opinions at annoying times! Lol)

Do you think just having 1 pendant at the end would be better?
Tani H-S
4 years ago
He he, sounds like my OH!! Has no opinions on anything usually except when I have a strong one - he likes to disagree :0/

The beam is irrelevant with a spider light as you can just drape the cable under it and to the left of it. White cables would blend into your ceiling so it’s not as obvious.

I looked at your pictures but can you mark up the image of where you are thinking of having them? You can edit it on your phone and draw on the pic.

So if you go with 2 lights, are you saying that one will be to the left of the beam and one will be just to the right of it?

Are you lighting the eating area ie overhang or are these work lights for cooking?
Gabby Wong
Original Author
4 years ago
These are the 2 options... OH doesn’t like 2 either side of the beam... I don’t think we can have the 1 on the far right as we’re not having an overhang there, so it’ll light the edge of the worktop and the floor...

I think we’re going for just the 1? Kinda balances the extractor on the other side of the beam and then can be centred over the island in all directions.

It’s more for Lighting when sat at the bar, and giving an alternative light source to all the spots...
Gabby Wong
Original Author
4 years ago
These are the lights we’re going for
Gabby Wong
Original Author
4 years ago
Or we move them in front of the extractor
Gabby Wong
Original Author
4 years ago
Ok, never mind! (And thanks for the help Tani) I think the only thing that works, the OH and I both agree on and don’t end up having pendants over the edge of the island is having 1 centred to the breakfast bar eating area! Decision made!
Tani H-S
4 years ago
Difficult one indeed. If you move them in front of the extractor, will they be sitting on the edge of the worktop?
Tani H-S
4 years ago
Sorry - just seen your previous comment as they crossed.
Glad you made the decision - I’m sure it will look great :0)
Gabby Wong
Original Author
4 years ago
Haha thanks Tani! And yea, I think it’s the best option overall... :-) just can’t wait for it to all be done! We’re at my in-laws, who are lovely but am so ready to be back in my house.. and didn’t take a lot of winter clothes with me! Doh! Plus I’m revising for post graduate exams - total nightmare lol
Gabby Wong
Original Author
4 years ago
So the lights got done, and today we got a worktop added! Extractor boxing (and the rest of downstairs) still needs to be painted.. but it's getting there! Very asymmetrical. but I think it works as you essentially have a light over the end of the island you'd sit at. :-)
minipie
4 years ago
That’s what we have - single large pendant over the breakfast bar area so at one end only. I think it works! And is a calmer look than lots of pendants. We could’ve had 2 or 3 pendants but I always liked the idea of just one to “zone” the breakfast bar.
Gabby Wong
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks Minipie, Glad it's not just me thinking it works in an attempt to convince myself! lol. I'm loving seeing it all come together!
Ellie
4 years ago
Looking lovely!! You are further ahead than me now! We have the kitchen fitted, and walls white. Wired for lights, but no actual lights! We will also have asymetrical island - hob on one side, 2 lights above sitting side. Flooring is all to get ripped up too.

What are you doing on your back wall, shelf or anything?
Gabby Wong
Original Author
4 years ago
Awww thanks Ellie, I was gutted for you to read about your flooring issues!

Yea, the guys have really kept things moving forward.

Downstairs Should be painted over the next week, then flooring goes down 18-20th..then they can fit the pocket doors into the frames, then they need to be painted! Then we can get all our furniture back! But next exam is the 3rd :-0 so Proper unpacking will be mostly after that!

Need to order new wardrobes and a new bed! Can’t believe how much has happened! In the last few months!

Back wall - plan is to get a wooden shelf (probably an upcycled scaffolding board one) for all my many recipe books, which will add some life and colour! And a magnetic strip for some knives :-)
Anthony (Beano)
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
that actually works well! I would have been tempted by the two either side of the beam but on seeing it actually hanging, I think you have made the right decision! Looks great :-) you could possibly even get away with lowering it a bit if possible?
Tracey Metcalfe
4 years ago
It looks great - many extractors also have lights, so you’ve probably still got some light above your cooking area which can also be used when the extractor is off.
Good luck with your project and your exams
Monica
4 years ago
Gabby that was the best decision, looks really great but I agree with Beano it needs to hang a little lower if you can lengthen it. Looking beautiful you must be so pleased :)
Gabby Wong
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks everyone :-)

Yes the pendant can be lowered, he purposefully left it high so I can lower it, much easier then trying to pull it up! I’m gonna leave it for now till other bits are more sorted and then work out a better height (and probably post pics to check what you guys think! Haha)

Also I think we’re going to use the 2 that didn’t go up over the island over the dining table instead, so that will give it some nice continuity I think... they’d work ok over a Dining table, right?
Tani H-S
4 years ago
Looks great! I didn’t realise at the beginning of your dilemma that the seating area was only at the end ;0) - I thought it was all the way across so one pendant works fine at the end!

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