35+ Modern & Unique Lighting Ideas for Your Kitchen
No matter what size your kitchen may be, you should put stock in the ability that an unexpected (and super stylish) light fixture can have to up the personality of your space. From eye-catching chandeliers to hard-working sconces, read ahead for unique kitchen lighting ideas (plus shoppable get-the-look comps) that will have you thinking twice about your outdated track lights.
1. The sconce is often overlooked for places other than a hallway or bedside table. It can really add a nice unexpected touch to a space like the kitchen. Take a cue from Caroline Kilmartin’s home tour onDominoand employ a single brass sconce to shed some light on your kitchen shelving and liven up an all-white scene.
Shop the Look:Isaac Sconce Brass (Short Arm)at Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co., $199
2. Matte black and overscale pendants stand out inthis all-white kitchen, yet tie in the faucet and dining chairs in the nearby dining area.
Shop the Look:Millennium Lighting RDBC10-SBat Lighting Direct, $66
3. A tiny kitchen is no match for an eye-catching chandelier. Bring instant glamour and drama to even the smallest of kitchens with a swanky crystal chandelier, like we spotted in thishome tour.
Shop the Look:Sleeping Partners Pendant Chandelierat Bed Bath and Beyond, $72
4. A fringed chandelier, like this Victorian-style one we spotted onThomas Rook, is a fun way to play with texture in your kitchen.
Shop the Look:Selamat Justina Blakeney Fela Tassel Chandelierat Shop Candelabra, $194
5. This crystal and gold stunner we saw onStyle Me Prettycreates a luxe kitchen scene that draws from the room’s metallic hardware.
Shop the Look:Hollywood Regency Chandelierat Etsy, $861
6. Love the functionality of the track lighting in your kitchen but in need of a more modern look? This clever DIY fromLauren and Danny’s home tourproves all you need is the right adapter and some bare bulbs for an updated track lighting scheme.
Shop the Look:Globe Electric Black Vintage Adjustable Plug-In Pendant (Set of 3在照明直接、39美元
7. Here’s a nearly identical look fromOne Fine Staybut, but we love that they’re suspended over the kitchen sink instead of island.
Shop the Look:Industrial Mini Pendant Light in Bare Bulb Styleat Beautiful Halo, $29
8. You don’t often think of bringing table lamps into a kitchen, but when your overhead lighting just isn’t cutting it, the home ofTiffany Prattproves it totally works. Keep the lamp delicate and thin as not to take up too much valuable counter space.
Shop the Look:Juliette Gold with Black Shade Buffet Table Lamp Set of 2at Lamps Plus, $80
9. Anna Bond’s home onA Cup of Jois serious #goals, and while there are so many, many things we could pull out to talk about here, for the sake of this post, we’ll note the task-style wall sconces. A bit unexpected, and oh so wonderful.
Shop the Look:BL5 Wall Sconceat Bestlite, $629
10. Classic white subway tile gets a modern upgrade when paired with two gold-accented wall sconces. The clear glass domes in this kitchen makeover fromDominokeep things upbeat but not visually cluttered.
Shop the Look:Ellerbe Sconceat Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co., $229
11. We think a shapely paper lantern similar to the one we spotted onUte and Steven Faure’s home tourbrings depth and definition to a lofty open kitchen layout without sacrificing the space’s airy vibes.
Shop the Look:REGOLITat IKEA, $5
12. An eye-catching pendant in a bright hue, like this geometrical one onStyle Me Pretty, turns a classic white kitchen into a cool place to hang out in no time.
Shop the Look:Carmen 4-light Pendanat Birch Lane, $87 (plus hot pink spray paint!)
13. A metallic globe light, like this silver ball we spotted inKelly Ransom’s kitchen萨非,改造传统的厨房ticated silhouette and bold finish.
Shop the Look:Mirror Ball Pendant Light 10”at France & Son, $125
14. A sculptural light fixture, like this sputnik-style flush mount chandelier we saw onNordic Design, brings an artful element to a neutral kitchen.
Shop the Look:Gold Ceiling Sputnik Lightat Etsy, $140
15. While surely you could fit a slender pendant anyway, sometimes in a space this compact, a flush mount is the way to go to not further cramp up the small space, as inSara Blake’skitchen.
Shop the Look:Drum Flush Mount Lampat CB2, $70
16. A pair of basket-style woven pendant lights brings texture and visual interest to an airy earth-toned kitchen, like inCarina’s kitchenon Apartment Therapy.
Shop the Look:Nassa Basket Pendant Lightat CB2, $299
17. This lighting solution in particular is specifically inspiring for anyone who doesn’t want to hardwire a sconce to a wall. A clamp light like the one in this scene fromDominocan go anywhere you see fit and looks unexpectedly styling while doing so.
Shop the Look:RANARP Clamp Lightat IKEA, $25
18. If you’re going to do one clamp sconce, why not go ahead and try multiple? A clean line of clamped anglepoise-style lights installed above the kitchen sink (like these pendant sconces we spotted onAppunti di Casa) provides plenty of light for food prep for a fraction of the cost of swankier sconces.
Shop the Look:Globe Electric Multi-Joint Metal Clamp Desk Lamp in Blackat Bed Bath and Beyond, $20
19. Shapely pendant lamps in the same color palette as the rest of your kitchen, like these white ones fromMim Design, make a stylish statement without distracting from the rest of the scene.
Shop the Look:Ceiling Light Pendant Hanging Fixtureat Amazon, $44
20. If you’re looking for a way to liven up a bland white kitchen, consider a single pendant lamp in a sprightly color, like the one we saw on Stephan andAmy Saxton’s home tour.
Shop the Look:Ivanhoe Sky Chief Warehouse Porcelain Pendantat Barn Light Electric Co., $153
21. For a full-on glam look, pair gold sconces and antique brass pendant lights together, but keep things modern with black hardware and other fixtures like we saw in this kitchen fromDomino).
Shop the Look:Antique Brass Nautical LED Pendant Light with Frosted Diffuserat Beautiful Halo, $127
22. Metallic ceiling fixtures, like these copper spheres we spotted onL’ Appartement Living, transform a whitewashed kitchen into a modern minimalist scene in seconds.
Shop the Look:Copper Shade Pendant Lampat France & Son, $89
23. A trio of shapely brass pendants brings a bold graphic element to a room full of box-like shapes like the kitchen. While the ones in this space fromDominoare likely Tom Dixon’s super $$$Beat Lights, the idea to mix and match shapes and sizes is one to inspire shaking things up.
Shop the Look:Ovid Pendantat Lightology, $395
24. A far-reaching double sconce, like this one in a kitchen fromSF Girl by Bay, moves from dining table to kitchen sink with ease.
Shop the Look:Curvilinear Mid-Century Sconce, Double, Blackat West Elm, $299
25. Who could have something bad to say about track lighting when it looks like the unit in this kitchen spotted onMy Domaine.
Shop the Look:4 Spotlight Ceiling Track Lightat Houzz $256
26. In the market for a Scandi-style light fixture that supplies plenty of overhead light for your kitchen? Gooseneck track lights such as these inClaes and Melinda’s home tour, look ultra modern and minimalist but provide ample kitchen lighting.
Shop the Look:Gooseneck Black Linear Track Headat Home Depot, $29
27. A slender brass light juxtaposes a monolithic waterfall island in the home ofJulia and Matt Stephenson.
Shop the Look:Essence Linear Suspensionat Lightology, $339
28. If your sink is against a wall (or better yet, a picture window), consider adding a sconce just above the area. A small pendant or even a sconce similar to the one here fromStyle Me Prettyprovides just enough light without distracting from the room’s other interesting fixtures.
Shop the Look:Sculptural Glass Pendantat West Elm, $79
29. Forge some subtle definition for your earth-toned kitchen by suspending a single pendant lamp (in the same finish as your other kitchen fixtures) above your sink as we saw inRachael and Rob’s Philadelphia home.
Shop the Look:Kimball 1 Light Mini Pendantat Amazon, $21
30. Open shelving gives you the room to load up on super chic sconces, and we’re loving the mix of black and gold in this space fromStudio McGee.
Shop the Look:Wall Sconce In Matte Blackat Houzz, $80
31. You can’t really spot them in this image, but above the black-and-white pendants and pothos-filled rack inJoe and Kim’skitchen hides two run-of-the-mill builder-grade flush mounts. This is such a smart way to cover something you don’t love without ripping it out!
Shop the Look:MELODIat IKEA, $10
32. Modernize your entire kitchen with one eye-catching light fixture (or a few to make it look robust), like these hanging pendants we saw onDomino.
Shop the Look:Sculptural Glass 7-Light Linear Chandelierat West Elm, $558
33. It’s hard to pick out one showstopper in this stunning kitchen by Veneer Designs onMy Domaine, but if you pull our arm, it would definitely have to be that gorgeous, peculiar chandelier over the island. It doesn’t come cheap (as we can’t imagine this kitchen does), but it sure does make a statement.
Shop the Look:Geometric Tri LED Pendantat Design Within Reach, $1,990
34. A cool wood light fixture transforms the standard kitchen island inCathy and Tony’s homeinto swanky breakfast nook.
Shop the Look:8-Light Kitchen Island Pendantat Wayfair, $349.99
35. Jar-style ceiling lights, like these we spotted onMeg, Joe, & Wells Piercy’s home tour, balance out an ultra modern kitchen with a slightly rustic touch.
Shop the Look:Spiral Glass Jar Ceiling Lightat Overstock, $115
36. A clean row of compact metallic pendants, like these small but shapely ones fromBen and Viv’s home tour, brightens up a neutral kitchen without sacrificing the laidback vibes.
Shop the Look:Noema Pendant Lightat 2Modern, $64
