70+ Light Fixture Ideas That Put the Spotlight on Your Kitchen
Talk about a bright idea!
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We all want to shed light on the areas of our homes that matter most—and the kitchen is no exception. Though a gorgeous backsplash, luxe countertops, and a functional footprint can often outshine a good glow, the right fixture can elevate your space and make your decadent dish appear even more appetizing. (Plus—after spending an unprecedented amount of time cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner—your kitchen could use a little upgrade.) If you want to take your culinary quarters’ style up a few notches, trade in the standard pendant for a fixture that makes maximum impact.
Craving a lightbulb moment for your kitchen? We culled the archives for the most eye-catching lighting inspiration to add to your space. From chandeliers to flush mounts and everything in between, you’re bound to find a bright idea below.
Layered Lariats
For a cluster of lights that makes a statement alone and together, you can’t go wrong with a lariat style. In this Beverly Hills home, designer Oliver M. Furth strung an Apparatus pendant above a glossy island that’s decked out in brass fixtures and vintage Bride’s Veil counter stools from Twentieth.
Playful Pendants
For this Vancouver home, design firm PlaidFox enlisted two squiggly pendants from Lambert & Fils to add a touch of whimsy to this modern kitchen. The final product is part playful, part pared-back, and all pristine.
Colorful Pendants
Trade in the typical brass, bronze, and silver pendants with a light fixture flushed in bold, bright colors. Jessica Davis of Atelier Davis mastered the look in this Bay Area abode by pairing this lively Schneid from Stillfried Wien style with yellow appliances and cabinetry painted in Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue.
Shape-Shifting Lanterns
Pack on the visual appeal with mismatched fixtures, just as design firm Les Ensembliers did here. The three Formakami in this Montreal loft are slightly different, giving this an eclectic-yet-orderly edge.
A Simple Trio
As this kitchen Dash Marshall designed for a TriBeCa apartment proves, all good things come in threes. The Ladies & Gentleman pendants pair nicely with the wavy wooden island and cabinetry—making a space that’s equal parts chic and curvaceous.
Artful Tube Lighting
Anyone who wants to pack on the drama will find a lot to love about the Apparatus fixture that designer Poonam Khanna added to this Hamptons beach house. Not only does the lengthy setup offset the spacious island, but it also draws the eye upward to highlight those tall ceilings.
Dual Lighting
Why settle for one light fixture when you can do a few? Summer Thornton juxtaposed the lights over the island—which were sourced from Roman and Williams Guild—with smaller flush mounts in an alcove. The result? A Chicago home that shines at full wattage.
Repetitive Lighting
Another way to prove the strength in numbers is by repeating the same fixture throughout your kitchen. Take a cue from Ryan Lawson, who made the most of Schoolhouse Electric Company’s flush mounts in this charming Connecticut home.
Supersize Pendant
As the saying goes, go big or go home. In this verdant kitchen, designer Fabrizio Casiraghi created contrast and a statement with this Isamu Noguchi pendant. The result? A standout fixture that draws the eye upward and highlights the room’s high ceiling.
Antique Accents
If you want to transport your kitchen to a different time and place, consider adding a vintage element. In this seaside villa, designer Lorenzo Castillo paired a gilded chandelier—which was sourced from a palace in Madrid—with an oak island and printed tiles.
’70s Lamps
Pendants, sconces, and flush mounts might be the go-to lighting styles for a kitchen, but if you want to shake things up, consider placing table lamps on your counters. In this Boca Raton home, designer Fawn Galli enlisted sunset-toned fixtures by Verner Panton.
Large Industrial Pendants
In a kitchen with rustic touches in this Malibu, California, home designed by Steven Gambrel, black accents make for a modern look—most prominently the black industrial pendants above the black countertop.
A Billiards-Style Pendant
A sleek pendant reminiscent of a billiards room hangs above a bright green island in a New York City apartment designed by Tom Scheerer and architect Gil P. Schafer.
2021 Pantone Colors of the Year
With gray accents throughout the breakfast room of a Madrid apartment designed by Isabel López-Quesada, the yellow on the pendant adds a nice pop of brightness—almost like Pantone’s Colors of the Year for 2021, Illuminating and Ultimate Gray.
Pink Lampshade Pendant
Adding some bold color brings this mostly white kitchen to life in an Upper East Side apartment designed by Stephen Sills.
Custom Glass Pendants
These clear glass custom-made pendants in a Paris apartment by designer Lorenzo Castillo bring a subtle elegance to this emerald green kitchen.
Diamond-Motif Pendants
These pendants would add a sophisticated design element to any kitchen, much like they do in this New Jersey home designed by Cullman & Kravis.
Light on Top, and Below
For a not-so-modern kitchen in Bill Brockschmidt’s palazzo in Sicily, this suspended pendant shines light both upward to the ceiling and below to the island, providing ample light for the whole space.
Brass Fixtures with Clear Bulbs
The ceiling fixtures in designer Thom Filicia’s Manhattan apartment kitchen give off that oh-so-warm mood lighting from its clear bulbs.
Orb Pendants
These shiny orbs fit the bill in a light-filled California kitchen designed by Academy Award–winning set designers David Wasco and Sandy Reynolds-Wasco.
Kelsey Mulvey is a freelance lifestyle journalist, who covers shopping and deals for Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, and ELLE Decor, among others. Her hobbies include themed spinning classes, Netflix, and nachos.
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