Free tool

Pendant light spacing calculator

Enter your kitchen island and the pendant you like. You get how many to hang, how far apart, how far from each end and how long the cord should be.

3 pendants, 30 inches apart

Measured center to center. Centered on the island, the row covers about two-thirds of it.

  • Outer pendants from each end18 inches to the center; the shade edge 12 inches in
  • Hang the bottom30 to 36 inches above the counter
  • Fixture and cord together36 to 42 inches

See them over your own island

Numbers say they fit. A picture says whether two big globes or three small domes look better. Photograph the kitchen, add the pendants from any store, and see them hanging there.

Try it free How the lighting visualizer works

The rules behind the numbers

  • Spacing: 24 to 30 inches between pendants, center to center [1][2].
  • Coverage: the row of pendants should span about two-thirds of the island's length [2]. The calculator picks the count that comes closest.
  • The ends: keep each outer pendant at least 6 to 12 inches in from the island's edge [2]. On a large island, about 18 inches from each end to the outer pendant looks balanced [1].
  • Height: the bottom of each pendant 30 to 36 inches above the countertop [1][2]. Most kitchen counters are 36 inches high; a bar-height island is about 42.

A single light over a dining table instead? Use the chandelier size calculator.

Sources

  1. All about pendant lights, This Old House. Read November 2, 2026.
  2. The complete pendant height & spacing guide, Artika. Read November 2, 2026.

Questions

How far apart should pendant lights be over an island?

24 to 30 inches, measured from the center of one shade to the center of the next. Wide shades need the top of that range so they don't crowd each other.

How many pendants over an 8 foot island?

Usually three. On a 96 inch island, three 12 inch pendants 30 inches apart fill about two-thirds of it and leave 18 inches from each end to the outer pendant's center.

How many pendants over a 6 foot island?

Two or three, depending on the shade. Three small pendants 24 inches apart cover two-thirds of a 72 inch island; with shades wider than about 12 inches, two look less crowded.

How high should pendants hang over an island?

With the bottom 30 to 36 inches above the countertop. On a standard 36 inch counter with a 9 foot ceiling, the fixture and cord together come to 36 to 42 inches.

How far from the end of the island should pendants be?

Keep the outer shades at least 6 to 12 inches in from each end, so nobody walks into them and the row looks centered.

Will they look right in my kitchen?

The numbers say they fit. To see the pendants you like over your own island, take a photo of the kitchen and add them from any store: Renderior shows them hanging there, with a link to buy them.

See the pendants over your island before you buy them.

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