Brass Lantern Island Lights
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All the details about our lantern lighting and how to select island lights.
One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is about the lantern lights we used in our kitchen.
So many factors went into selecting our island lighting including size, how much light they would provide, height {as to not block conversation or feel invasive when Chris is cooking with me due to his height} and how they would direct light.
So many things to consider, right? Let’s break them down one by one.
How to select island lights:
- Size. Like everything in your home, you want it to be to scale. Use cutouts if you have to visualize what size lantern or pendant light will work best in your kitchen.
- Light. Consider how much light you want or need. We eliminated the light on the other side of the kitchen and decided to forgo can lights for a clean appearance. Therefore, we needed these to illuminate the entire kitchen, requiring more wattage.
- Height. Finding the right height can be challenging. You want them low enough to make it feel intimate {and not stocky}, but high enough that conversations can still happen across the island. Most importantly, you never want your island pendants to knock anyone out. Ask Chris. Those original to our home did. Ouch.
- Light direction. This one is a little trickier. We had a pendant at our previous how that pushed the light down, which made the ceiling feel dark.
Light placement will largely be determined by the height of your ceiling and length of your island, however this is a great guide to hanging island lights.
With all these chats about lighting, I knew it was time to share my favorite bulbs, too! Check out this complete Light Bulb Guide for information about soft white vs cool white bulbs and more.
I fell in love with these brass lanterns after seeing this image a few years ago and loved how classic they felt. Unfortunately, I was not able to find the original source of the image or the lanterns after an extensive search, so I had similar custom made at Copper Lantern Lighting, who I had worked with before. Should you want to recreate the look, here are all the details:
- 12″ wide x 22″ high
- antique brass
- clear glass
A few notes should you decide to custom order as well:
- They estimate 8 weeks, but the few times I’ve ordered with them it exceeded 12 weeks, so plan ahead.
- Each lantern is $964 + $150 to ship.
- Hang with rubber gloves to avoid any fingerprints.
Love the look of brass as much as we do? Check out this Rub ‘n Buff tutorial to turn any home accessories into the perfect antiqued brass!
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Our measurements:
- We hung each lantern 39″ apart from chain to chain.
- The ceiling to the ring measures 10″
- The ceiling to the base of light is 31″
- The base of the lantern to the top of the island is 27″
Love the look of brass as much as we do? Check out this Rub ‘n Buff tutorial to turn any home accessories into the perfect antiqued brass, like these Gilded Frames! You can also learn all about my favorite Brass Polish, too.
Don’t skip this post about Brass Lighting! It’s an incredible resource that rounds up all of our favorite brass light fixtures.
You can get all o the details of our kitchen here and you can get all the details about our unlacquered brass faucet, brass door knobs and brass hardware too!
More Home Decor Inspiration
- Choosing Patterned Carpet
- Copper Lanterns
- Kitchen Island Dimension Guidelines
- DIY Basket Pendant Light
- 20 Easy DIY Wall Art Ideas
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Cheryl Hodgson says
Julie, I have fallen in love with these lanterns and can’t find anything even close. They are $1400 a piece at Copper Lantern. Not doable…..the $964 is. Did they go up that much in a few years? I need the money from the sale of my kidney for other items🤣 building a house is such fun
Julie Blanner says
Hi Cheryl! I’m sorry to hear that. I can only attest to what I paid. Costs of brass may have increased or they may simply be taking advantage of how many readers I have sent unfortunately.
Renee says
I absolutely LOVE your lantern lights and want something similar for my island. I am trying to decide about the direction of the light. I’m concerned it won’t be bright enough for task lighting while working at the counter if the light is reflecting upward instead of like a downward pendant light. Do you have enough task lighting with your lanterns?
Julie Blanner says
It is the only lighting we have in our kitchen and feels more than sufficient. It doesn’t cast significant shadows.
Phil Lister says
Please send me prices for your brass pendant lantern lights. Do they come in one side only please?
Thank you
Phil Lister
Julie Blanner says
As you’ll see, I had them custom made to the specifications I provided.
Diana says
Hi! Do u mind posting the place u got the lanterns from?
Julie Blanner says
Not at all, they were custom made by http://copperlanternlighting.com Enjoy!
Ava Mandelbaum says
Hi! I would love to get the same lanterns as yours but nervous my ceiling height is too low. My ceilings are 7’10 and 1/2. Do you think that is too low for them. How high are your ceilings
Thanks
Ava
Julie says
Not over an island, but in a room you’d walk through they would be. Our ceiling height is only 8’. Hope that helps!