The Island Pendant Decision - Where Style and Function Matter Equally

A pendant choice is often dictated by the design of the kitchen. They work best hung above an island as they dress the space, but they also look equally lovely above a dining room table to balance proportion & add intimacy.

How many pendants you decide to hang is totally your choice (3 is normal over a large island but I also like 2), and do check whether your existing circuit and light fittings are compatible with a dimmable option as task lighting is important as well as setting the mood.

In our home I opted for two dimmable large glass pendants above our kitchen island, as we wanted an uninterrupted view of the garden when cooking. Ours feel large enough to be a focal point but also don't dominate the space. We can set the mood depending on whether we are eating informally with friends and family (where we tend to sit at the island with softer lighting in the evening) or would like them at full brightness for everyday tasks.

Glass and ceramic pendants in the kitchen are great options as they are really easy to keep clean. If you use a large cloth and warm water (a type of cloth traditionally used by window cleaners) you don't have to use any harsh chemicals near to where you cook and eat.

A fast-growing trend recently has been around rechargeable table lamps, and Pooky is one step ahead with a collection of not only rechargeable lamps & wall lights but rechargeable pendant kits as well! Pooky makes buying lighting of any description super easy by matching the fitting to a choice of their shades, allowing you to effectively 'plug and play' within their website depending on your desired look & budget. The White Company is now also offering rechargeable wall lights so it seems the high street is finally catching onto this rechargeable lighting trend.

Rechargeable wall lights and pendant kits means there is no more need (or pain!) to chase through freshly plastered walls. If you find just overhead spotlights are a little harsh within your home, both wall lights and pendants can really warm up a room with a layered lighting effect and add some direct task lighting as well. I would like to add some rechargeable wall lights to our own kitchen this year without breaking a drill (we have deep flint walls), so watch this space...

Most companies offer really great advice if you have any questions, so don't be afraid to pick up the phone and speak to their teams about height placement, spacing and the correct bulbs. One of Pooky's pendants is the Percy which comes in three different sizes (small, regular and large). It has just the right amount of glass & antique brass detailing if choosing brass sanitary ware, and it shouldn't break the bank.

Glass, brass and rattan all bring materiality to a kitchen and can add much-needed sculptural & textural details if you are leaning into a more sleek kitchen design. A few other affordable designs are by ever popular Neptune and the gorgeous more bespoke Lam Lighting. The Emerson from Neptune is a heritage style, solid brass pendant which has a real vintage feel & will naturally patina over time. The large Keates pendant and the Giselle from Lam Lighting are made from wonderfully delicate 'Limoges porcelain' & have matching porcelain ceiling roses. Both companies offer perfectly proportioned kitchen wall lights too, so they are both well worth checking out.

The Suffolk based homeware company Jim Lawrence also provides some classic pendants in hand-blown glass to suit all tastes (the Walcot range is a classic choice for a shaker kitchen) and the company even has a section devoted to kitchen island pendants on their website. My own kitchen pendants are the Upton (large) from Fritz Fryer (whose team are based in Herefordshire) and I feel they have a classic elegance with their fluted glass detailing which balances well with our flint wall.

Show-stopping pendants are also available from decorative lighting masters such as Hector Finch, Restoration Hardware, Ochre, Visual Comfort and Heathfield to name but a few & all are worth considering should your budget allow. These designer-led luxury lighting houses each offer heritage inspired, artisan lighting with dramatic scale and I'm in love with a number of each of their pendants & wall lights.

Quick tips on choosing your kitchen pendant:

• Consider ceiling height and size of your island

• If you want to create ambience and have task lighting, make sure its dimmable

• For longer islands, think about scale & linear options

• Match the style of the pendant to the kitchen or dining room

• Pendants don't have to match your sanitary ware but they should connect

• Consider the visual weight, not just the size of the pendant

• If the bulb can be seen, it needs to be just as lovely as the pendant

As kitchen pendants are normally the last piece to install at the end of a kitchen update or project, it's great to do a as much research as possible well ahead of time so you know how your space will look when completed. It's all about proportion, spacing, light temperature and finish so check out the options you love the most when first looking at your kitchen design. Good lighting doesn't shout, it settles the room.