How high to hang pendant lights over a kitchen island?
80 cm (31 in) above the worktop · 170 cm (67 in) from the floor
Hang pendants with the bottom of each shade 80 cm (31 in) above a kitchen island: 170 cm (67 in) from the floor over a worktop 90 cm (35 in) high. For 3 pendants over an island 200 cm (79 in) long, centre them 33 cm, 100 cm, 167 cm from one end, with shades up to 37 cm (15 in) across.
The height is the one lighting shops give for a dining table, measured from the worktop instead of the tabletop. It keeps the shades above your eye line when you stand at the island and close enough to light the surface you are working on.
Stand at the island before the electrician fixes the length. If you are tall and the shades are solid, raise them until you can see the face of the person opposite. Shops allow a range either side of this figure, so a few centimetres up is still inside the rule.
Worked out for A kitchen island 200 × 90 cm and 90 cm (35 in) high, under a 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) ceiling, with 3 pendants in a row, each with a shade 30 cm (12 in) tall. Change the numbers
The working
- Ceiling 240 cm: no more than 244 cm, so no change.
- Bottom of the shade 80 cm above the table (range 75–90 cm), so 90 + 80 = 170 cm from the floor.
- Drop = 240 − 170 − 30 (fitting) = 40 cm.
- Diameter = 0.5–0.67 × 90 cm, no wider than 90 − 30 cm or 67 − 30 cm per light.
Shops often list the overall drop, from the ceiling to the bottom of the shade.
The rules, and their sources
Pendant above a dining table
A rule lighting shops use: hang the bottom of the light 75–90 cm (30–36 in) above the table under a standard ceiling. The calculator aims for 80 cm.
A rule designers use Sources: Jim Lawrence, Lighting FAQ (checked 31 October 2026); The Lighting Centre (NZ), How to size a pendant (checked 31 October 2026); Mod Lighting (2 Jan 2025), How to find the right chandelier size for your dining room (checked 31 October 2026).
Light about half the table's width
A rule designers use: a light over a dining table is half to two thirds of the table's width, and at least 30 cm (1 ft) narrower than the table, so nobody knocks it standing up.
A rule designers use Sources: Jim Lawrence, Lighting FAQ (checked 31 October 2026); Mod Lighting (2 Jan 2025), How to find the right chandelier size (checked 31 October 2026).
Other ceiling heights
The same island under lower and higher ceilings. Above a standard ceiling the lights go a little higher, so they still sit in proportion.
| Ceiling | Above the worktop | Cord or rod above the shade |
|---|---|---|
| 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in) | 80 cm (31 in)170 cm (67 in) from the floor | 30 cm (12 in) |
| 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) this page | 80 cm (31 in)170 cm (67 in) from the floor | 40 cm (16 in) |
| 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) | 82 cm (32 in)172 cm (68 in) from the floor | 49 cm (19 in) |
| 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) | 87 cm (34 in)177 cm (70 in) from the floor | 64 cm (25 in) |
| 3 m (9 ft 10 in) | 94 cm (37 in)184 cm (72 in) from the floor | 86 cm (34 in) |
Change the numbers
Your sizes will differ. The pendant light height and size calculator opens with these numbers filled in: change any of them and the answer, the working and the drawing follow.
Editorial notes
Worked out by the Snuug team on 12 November 2026 with the same code as the pendant light height and size calculator, so the two cannot disagree. Every rule cites its source, with the date we last checked it. A rule designers use is a convention, not a study.