These 45 Kitchen Lighting Ideas Are Totally En-light-ened
The kitchen is often considered the heart of the home. We eat, cook, laugh, drink, and often end our day in this space, so it’s only fitting that when considering which lights to install, it’s not simply a matter of bringing in task lighting. In fact, lighting is a tool in any designer’s arsenal that can make or break a room—with endless potential for statement moments.
Before you scour the aisles of your local lighting shop, spend some time in your kitchen doing some preplanning. Think about shape, size, and color in relation to the space’s aesthetics. If you have a neutral kitchen, a pendant with a pop of color could be just what the space needs. On the other hand, if you have a maximalist-style kitchen, a glass fixture could do the trick.
“I love using bold pendants or unique chandeliers to add personality to a space,” says Nashville-based designer Carolyn Cerminara-Kelly of Cerminara Designs. When selecting lighting, Cerminara-Kelly advises playing with scale, experimenting with various materials, and opting for a cohesive finish that complements the rest of the decor. She also recommends positioning lighting to highlight architectural features like exposed beams or islands.
When considering which lights will work best in your space, take Cerminara-Kelly’s advice to maintain consistency. An example of this can be blending modern and traditional elements to create a chic and inviting environment. She also suggests placing pendant lights at the right height above surfaces, maximizing natural light with airy window treatments, and considering smart lighting systems for added convenience.
If your kitchen is in need of a face-lift, below you’ll find 45 incredible kitchens with spectacular lighting that are pretty much the star of the show.
Pendant Trio
These cylinder pendants from Apparatus Studio provide so much more than just lighting. ELLE DECOR A-List designer Poonam Khanna lined the pendants in a suede that matches the living room sofa in this Newport, Rhode Island, home.
Delicate Stool Pendant
The simple and timeless kitchen in this Greenwich Village apartment, redesigned by the ELLE DECOR A-List firm Pappas Miron, is adorned with a single vintage stool pendant by Cassina.
Antique Pendants
Mixing antique and modern pieces is a great technique to make your kitchen stand out in all the right ways. In this Southern California home by ELLE DECOR A-List designers Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent, antique Italian pendants complement the marble top custom island from ABC Stone.
Minimal Bucket Lanterns
Designer Georgia Tapert Howe renovated this Park Avenue apartment with modernization in mind. The bucket lanterns by Stahl and Band above the kitchen island are perfectly minimal and the focal point of the space.
Statement Lighting
Interior designer Tina Ramchandani added lighting by Apparatus to the kitchen and dining area of this cozy West Village home. Its fun and creative design light up the space, making it an ideal centerpiece for those who love to entertain.
Dark-Colored Pendants
Atlanta-based ELLE DECOR A-List interior designer Jessica Davis kept this kitchen monochrome and neutral. Aligning with the rest of the decor, the four dark glass pendants are by Niche Modern.
A Custom Pendant
In this chic Parisian apartment designed by Sarah Dray, the custom pendant is made out of alabaster to complement the delicate feel of the room.
Three-Piece Fixture
The kitchen of this farmhouse-style home in Dutchess County, New York, has millwork and cabinets painted in Railings by Farrow & Ball. To light up the room, architect Frederick Tang placed a three-piece lighting fixture.
Globe Pendants
Interior designer Annie Downing starts with the lighting and lets the rest radiate outward. “I see decorative lighting as the nucleus that drives the tone of any space,” she explains. In this kitchen, she placed three matching pendants extending the same length as the island.
Simple Lanterns
If you like to keep the party in the kitchen, think about adding a couple of pendants above the kitchen island. Decorated by Christie Ward, this kitchen has simple pendants to create a warm light above the island. “Lighting like this grabs people’s attention to naturally gather in the kitchen while others are cooking,” she explains.
Delicate Fixture
This super-tall skyscraper in New York features a Herzog & de Meuron range and hood that nearly belong in the Museum of Modern Art. A delicate hanging fixture in a parallel lounge area is all that is required to top off this stunning space.
Black Fixture
Contrast is your greatest design flex, and the kitchen of this Milan apartment designed by ELLE DECOR A-List designer Hannes Peer is proof. Against bold yellow cabinetry, a circular fixture of black lights brings the white-veined black marble backsplash back home.
Sculptural Lights
We love a sculptural moment, and lighting is such a fun way to bring that into a kitchen. This Long Island home, designed by ELLE DECOR A-Lister Poonam Khanna, features just that—a trio of Apparatus pendants that elegantly hang above the brass island.
Blobby Lighting
Leave it to ELLE DECOR A-List designer Joe Nahem to take cues from nature in his choice of lighting fixtures. In this shou sugi ban house in Long Island, the designer brought in a can’t-be-missed blobby lighting fixture that basically makes the room.
Simple Light Fixture
Going for a rustic vibe? The kitchen in this Sonoma, California, home by ELLE DECOR A-List designer Ken Fulk, exudes country simplicity in everything from its weighty central island in dark timber to its barely-there fixture right above.
Bright Yellow Pendants
This colorful saltbox house in Weston, Connecticut, designed by Jenna Chused is decorated with bright yellow pendants from Urban Electric Co.
Pendants to Match the Furniture
James Merrell of Merrell Soule Architects designed Eve Robinson’s Hamptons home and kept it looking natural and minimal. The pendants by Artek match well with the ebony stained ash cabinetry and carbon gray stone counters.
White and Gold Hanging Pendants
The kitchen of this Upper East Side apartment designed by Steven Gambrel is full of beautiful Calacatta Gold marble and gold hanging pendants with decorative chains to match.
1935 Pendant Lights
This light blue kitchen designed by Madeline Stuart features circa-1935 pendant lights, quartzite counters, custom-made cabinetry, and Marmoleum flooring.
Small Pendant
This small goldenrod-colored pendant by Rose Uniacke is a great contrast in this maximalist pink kitchen.
Majolica Pendant
The Spanish majolica pendant in the kitchen of this Hollywood Hills, California, home by ELLE DECOR A-List designer Garrett Hunter beautifully complements the Sergio Rodrigues chairs and custom cabinetry.
Black and Brass Hanging Fixtures
This funky kitchen by ELLE DECOR A-List designer Mary McDonald is full of gold accents. With the cabinetry painted in a custom Benjamin Moore mix with pistachio-toned base, the black and brass hanging fixtures by Urban Electric Co. are the perfect finishing touch.
Large Glass Pendants
Interior designer Carolyn Cerminara-Kelly wanted to create the illusion of a larger kitchen, since she had limited space. To do this, she opted for glass pendants by Visual Comfort & Co. and kept the tones earthy and cohesive.
Vintage Spanish Chandelier
The vintage Spanish chandelier of this outdoor kitchen by ELLE DECOR A-List designers Nathan Turner and Eric Hughes is undoubtedly the focal point of their ranch-style house. To continue with the vintage theme, the ladder-back dining chairs are also vintage, as well as the repurposed wood siding.
Silver French Pendants
A maximalist apartment in New York City by ELLE DECOR A-List design firm Redd Kaihoi features a kitchen nothing short of spectacular. Following a silver color scheme, the Ann Morris French pendants match with the Mies van der Rohe stools and Waterworks fittings.
Vintage Pendant
The kitchen of Angie Hranowsky’s beach home in Deer Isle, Maine, keeps its original 1968 design. The Charleston, South Carolina–based designer then repainted the cabinets and added a vintage Paavo Tynell pendant to match.
Round Lights
This vivid Chicago kitchen is anything but boring. With cerused oak cabinetry and a patterned marble kitchen, the pendants by Roman and Williams Guild add the final touch of shimmer.
Cylindrical Pendant
The cylindrical pendant by Roll & Hill in this Upper East Side apartment by ELLE DECOR A-List designer Michael K. Chen is minimal perfection. With polished brass and nickel finishings, the kitchen is full of metallic undertones throughout.
Bronze Chandelier
This 18th-century villa in Menorca, Spain, by ELLE DECOR A-List designer Lorenzo Castillo keeps it historical charm intact. This one-of-a-kind bronze chandelier with emerald green fringes was sourced from a royal residence in Madrid.
Unique Glass Fixtures
London-based ELLE DECOR A-List design firm Retrouvius completely glamorized this townhouse kitchen. Above an island made from old museum cabinets is a light fixture made of vintage Czech glass chemistry funnels that gives the space a modern look.
Flush Mounted Lights
When interior designer Ryan Lawson restored the Connecticut home of restaurateur Rosa Bonura, he knew the kitchen had to be and look professional. To accompany the raw wood–paneled island and state-of-the-art appliances, the fun flush-mounted lights are by Schoolhouse Electric Company.
Round Pendants
Architect Dash Marshall used feng shui foundations as inspiration while creating this TriBeCa apartment. In the kitchen, the trio of globe-shaped pendants are by Ladies & Gentleman Studio.
Duo of Plaster Pendants
The two custom pendants in this Manhattan apartment designed by Kelly Behun are made of plaster. Going with a neutral theme, the designer also decided to place a Cristallo quartzite island.
Geometric Pendant
The kitchen of this French Tudor–style California home features a striking pendant by Urban Electric Co. This fun hanging-style pendant has a four-sided metal roof and a glass globe centerpiece. To match, the walls are painted in Pale Hound by Farrow & Ball.
Asymmetric Chandelier
This kitchen has statement pieces throughout, and we love it! Designed by ELLE DECOR A-Lister Mark Grattan, this New York City pied-à-terre features a four-arm brass asymmetrical chandelier, Brazilian quartzite, and terra-cota Mario Bellini stools.
Matte Black Hanging Lights
The walnut-veneer kitchen in this 19th-century Paris apartment designed by Kelli Wilde and Laurent Champeau are sleek and contemporary. The matte black hanging pendants are by Tom Dixon, and the metallic fittings are by Franke.
Dandelion Chandeliers
To decorate this stunning white kitchen designed by Alex Papachristidis, the designer opted for dandelion chandeliers by Tony Duquette from Remains Lighting.
Grid of Pendants
Architect Carmel Greer wanted the kitchen in her Washington, D.C., home to be unexpected, so she placed a grid of pendants over the island. To pair with that, the navy central island is topped with black marble.
Funky Pendants
The kitchen of this Vancouver, British Columbia, home designed by PlaidFox is colorful and trendy. For a fun contrast, the designer added two salmon-colored pendants by Lambert & Fils.
Grand Chandelier
If you’re looking for a way to make your kitchen special and completely unique when it comes to lighting, you have to think big. This home in Beirut, designed by architect Raed Abillama, features a grand kitchen showcasing a larger-than-life, cloudlike chandelier by Atelier Alain Ellouz.
Yellow and Blue Pendants
This 1970s California home by ELLE DECOR A-List designer Jessica Davis has a blue and yellow kitchen, with Schneid pendants from Stillfried Wien doing their part in the color scheme. The yellow cookware complements the cabinets painted in Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball.
Aquamarine Pendant
The Sydney home of Australian designer Tamsin Johnson features an elegant and fashionable kitchen. The aquamarine vintage pendant is by Gio Ponti.
Golden Pendants
The open-plan kitchen in this Utah family home, designed by Alice Lane Home Collection, has a rather traditional design. To make it stand out, the designer added two pairs of pendants by Thomas O’Brien for Visual Comfort with a gold interior to complement the white marble top of the islands.
Danish Pendants
The white kitchen in this Hamptons house relies on greenery and art for some color. For dimension, the three white pendants by Louis Poulsen do just the trick.
Fun Light Fixture
To make this kitchen look uniform, designers Jamie Drake and Caleb Anderson paired a kitchen table by Egg Collective with a bright yellow base with a light fixture by Lindsey Adelman showing similar colors.
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