Lighting a dark kitchen with spotlights and pendant lights.

[MissPollysTrolleyed]

I really want to have pendant lights over my new kitchen table but they don't give off much light. I don't really like spots but I think they are best for lighting a dark area. Would spots and low-handing pendant lights be wrong? Are there any alternatives?

I have downlighters in my gloomy kitchen (so dark you need the lights on all the time)

I've seen lots of kitchens which have downlighters all over and then low hanging pendant lights above the island unit. So I don't see anything wrong with combining the two, in fact it looks good.

Undercabinet lights are helpful too.

Thanks Minipie, that's helpful. I also found this lovely example while searching for a holiday let so am now happily browsing pendant lights.

I'm thinking of doing something similar in our kitchen diner - little lights all over the ceiling, and more of a feature light over the breakfast bar. Lighting over the dining table is more awkward as the table will be movable

Hi Yorky, did you decide what to do about lighting over the moveable dining table? We have a similar situation: we like the low hanging pendant lights, but our table mostly lives in the corner and gets pulled out when we have guests. Also, we're probably replacing the table in the next year or so, and if the new one is a different size...you can see how this gets tricky :-)

I have seen (not in the UK) people who have hooks in the ceiling and move the pendant light so its flex hangs over wherever they have put the table today.

Don't like spots or downlights unless you want pools of light and want to use a lot of electricity to illuminate the whole room

What makes you think a pendant doesn't give much light?

You could put a socket in the middle of the floor and have a lamp(s) on the table?

Beksanoul - no decision here, but not in a rush as still waiting for PP to build the kitchen diner!

I can't see the table moving too often day to day, but it will have to turn at right angles to itself if we have too many people round at once - which is when the lighting could get tricky.

If lots of little spotlights make for a high electricity bill and pools of light, what is a better way of getting general light? Rather than just a pendant light in the centre of the room

Are LED spotlights more efficient than halogen?

Two pendants? Three? Four? If you put a large opal globe lamp in, it will not cause glare or sharp shadows.

LED uses less electricity. But why not use CFL energy saving lamps?

How about an Uplighter or Standard lamp?

I have both - the central ceiling pendant lights give out much more light than my LED spot/downlights. Since, you are planning your wiring, I would have a pendant light over where your dining table position/s will be. I also decided to have dimmer switches for these so that I can adjust the brightness. I also have LED strip under cabinet lighting because I preferred the look of it.