This question comes up more than any other. Here's the answer.
The standard recommendation is 30 to 36 inches between the bottom of the pendant and the surface of the island. I've measured a lot of kitchens and I've come to believe 32 inches is the right number for most fixtures and most countertop heights.
The caveats: if the pendant is opaque or partially enclosed, you want the light to wash down onto the surface, which means you want it lower. If it's open or globe-shaped and you're worried about glare, go higher.
For multiple pendants over a long island, the bottom of all fixtures should be at exactly the same height. Not approximately the same height — exactly. An inch of variation looks like an installation error rather than a design choice. Use a level and mark the wall before you hire an electrician.
The size of the pendant relative to the island matters as much as the height. A common mistake is choosing fixtures that are too small. A single 10-inch pendant over a 4-foot island looks like a suggestion. Two or three pendants, or one larger fixture, reads as intentional.
If you're still shopping, BO-HA's kitchen pendant lighting is worth a look — useful to have a specific fixture in hand before you commit to mounting height.
Karen at The Holloway Home wrote a practical post on choosing kitchen pendant lights — useful for thinking about fixture style alongside the height question.
Test the Height Before You Commit
We settled on 32 inches above the counter after living with 34 for a week and finding it a touch high. Stand the tallest person in the house at the island and check the sightline across it before you finalize — you want to see faces, not look through a glowing shade at dinner.
Pendants Plus Task Light
Decorative island pendants set the mood but rarely light the counter enough to cook by, so we backed them with under-cabinet strips and a warm overhead. The pendants are the focal point; the hidden light does the chopping. That division of labor is the secret to a kitchen that's both beautiful and usable.
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