How High to Hang Pendant Lights Over a Kitchen Island

Hang pendants so the bottom of the shade sits 76 to 86 cm (30 to 34 in) above the counter. On a standard 91 cm (36 in) counter, that puts the bottom of the shade about 167 to 177 cm (66 to 70 in) off the floor.

In a first condo, the pendant over the island is the light you look at every evening, so it pays to plan it before the electrician arrives. Use the Island Planner to work out height, spacing and drop length for your own ceiling.

Height and drop by ceiling height

For a 91 cm (36 in) counter. The drop is the distance from the ceiling to the bottom of the shade.

Taller ceilings use the top of the range so the fixture does not look stranded. Lower ceilings sit nearer 76 cm (30 in).

Why 76 to 86 cm

Visual Comfort, a lighting maker, gives 76 to 91 cm (30 to 36 in) from the top of the counter to the bottom of the fixture as the standard, nearer 76 cm (30 in) under lower ceilings and nearer 91 cm (36 in) under taller ones. The Linobianco pendant's product page suggests about 71 to 86 cm (28 to 34 in) above the table or island. We use 76 to 86 cm (30 to 34 in), where the two overlap.

Inside that range, lower puts more light on the counter and higher keeps the view across the island open. In a tall household, go to the top of the range so nobody looks straight into a shade. The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) planning guidelines call for task lighting over every work surface, and island pendants do that job.

How many pendants, and how far apart

Visual Comfort suggests two pendants for smaller islands and three for larger ones. Our rule of thumb is about one pendant for every 85 cm (33 in) of counter, rounded: 2 on a 183 cm (6 ft) island and 3 on a 244 cm (8 ft) one.

To space them, split the counter into equal zones, one per pendant, and hang each pendant over the centre of its zone. With two pendants, each one sits a quarter of the counter length in from its end, as Visual Comfort describes. On a 183 cm (72 in) island, that is 46 cm (18 in) in from each end and 92 cm (36 in) apart.

A linear fixture such as the Linobianco is one light on one ceiling box, so centre it over the counter instead.

Check the drop before you order

• Work out the drop: ceiling height, minus counter height, minus your hang height. The chart above does it for a 91 cm counter.
• Compare it with the maximum drop on the product page. If the fixture cannot reach, it will hang higher than you planned.
• Pendants hang from ceiling boxes. If yours is not centred over the island, moving it is a job for a licensed electrical contractor, with your condo board's approval first. Our lamp plan for rooms with no ceiling light covers permits and installers in more detail.

Two pendants we sell for islands

The Linobianco 4-Light Linen Pendant ($389.97) lines up four linen and jute shades on one bar, about 95 cm (37 in) long, from one ceiling box. Its height is set during install and the maximum drop is not listed, so ask us before you order if your ceiling is tall. It ships free within Canada.

For separate pendants, the Medium Jute Woven Pendant ($99.99) is 30 cm (11.8 in) wide and drops up to 165 cm (65 in), enough to hang it 76 cm (30 in) above a 91 cm counter under a ceiling as tall as about 330 cm (10 ft 10 in). One on its own has a delivery fee, and a pair ships free.

Both are cUL listed and hardwired, and installation by a licensed electrical contractor is not included. Uninstalled fixtures in their original packaging can be returned within 3 days of delivery, and installed fixtures are final sale.

Last checked October 2026.

Sources

• Visual Comfort: How High Should You Place Pendant Lights Over a Kitchen Island? (height, number and placement)
• NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines with Access Standards, Guideline 31 (lighting)
• Product pages for the Linobianco and Jute pendants (hang height, drop and size)