Kitchen Island Pendant Calculator
Enter your island and the shade you like, and get how many pendants to hang, where each one goes, how high and how long a cord to order. Every number comes from the lighting makers' rules listed under the calculator.
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How the calculator works
It applies the layout rules published by three lighting makers and nothing else. Positions are measured from one end of the island to the middle of each pendant, and heights from the counter top to the bottom of the shade.
Two pendants go a quarter of the island's length in from each end. Three or more are spaced evenly, so on an 8 ft island three pendants land at 24, 48 and 72 in. The calculator then checks the result against the shade you entered: at least 12 in of air between shades, and at least 6 in from the edge of each end shade to the end of the island.
Two choices are ours, and we say so. The makers give 30 to 36 in above the counter and say to go higher under a tall ceiling, so the calculator moves from 30 in at an 8 ft ceiling to 36 in at 10 ft. And it suggests two pendants up to a 7 ft island and three above that, which matches the makers' advice for smaller and larger islands. Pick a different number above and every figure follows it.
| Rule | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom of the shade above the counter | 30 to 36 in | Visual Comfort, Schoolhouse, Kichler |
| Taller ceiling | Toward 36 in | Visual Comfort |
| Island of 4 to 5 ft | One large or two medium | Schoolhouse |
| Smaller or larger island | Two, or three | Visual Comfort |
| Two pendants | A quarter of the length in from each end | Visual Comfort |
| Spacing | About 24 in apart | Schoolhouse |
| Between the widest points | 12 to 24 in | Kichler |
| From each end of the island | At least 6 in | Kichler |
- Visual Comfort, how high to place pendant lights over a kitchen island
- Schoolhouse, hanging pendants and chandeliers
- Kichler, pendant planning and selecting
It is layout guidance, not electrical advice. The boxes, the wiring and the weight the ceiling can carry are for a licensed electrician to confirm. The full explanation, with what to ask a workshop before ordering a handmade pendant, is in our copper pendant lights guide. Copper pendants with checked discount codes are on the copper pendant lights page.