2 Striking Modern Lighting Ideas For Your Island Bench

When it comes to interior design, there are many elements that combine to create a beautiful and cohesive look. However, some elements play a larger role than others, and lighting is certainly one of them. Lighting is not only functional, it's also vital for creating ambiance and adding prominent and defining aesthetics to a room's overall look. This is particularly true when you're choosing modern lighting to hang over an island bench in an open-plan kitchen and dining area. Here are two modern lighting ideas that you could consider.

1. Pendant Lights

Pendant lights are a fantastic and contemporary look for modern homes and make an excellent choice over an island bench. They're incredibly stylish and serve as a visually appealing sculpture-like feature as well as providing great directional illumination to your bench space. Because they hang lower than the ceiling, they can also help to create an unobtrusive and subtle delineation between the cooking and eating areas of your living space.

This type of lighting can also help to accentuate the versatility of the area and increase its functionality during different times of the day. Adding a dimmer switch to your pendant lights allows you to increase the light during times when you're preparing food or working, and to dim the lights when you're dining or relaxing at night. Pendant lights that can be lowered and raised are also a practical way that you can utilize the space in a variety of ways as required.

2. Chandeliers

Adding a modern chandelier to your open-plan kitchen and dining area is another stunning and contemporary way to light the space. As well as flooding the area with light, chandeliers add a sense of glamor and a hint of drama to what is often a very functional part of the home. An eye-catching chandelier works especially well when you've opted for a monochromatic or minimalist design scheme. It's a chance to add a splash of flair, texture, and color without compromising on the clean lines and functionality of a streamlined look.

These days, chandeliers have come a long way from the elaborate and highly fussy versions of bygone years. Designers still use faceted glass to help bounce light around and create visual interest, but they frequently use it in conjunction with more contemporary materials. This means you can coordinate your chandelier with other features of the space by opting for materials such as copper, stainless steel, timber, and textiles.