Your kitchen needs more light than almost any other room in the house. It’s a highly active space, which immediately calls for task lighting. Naturally, you pick one overhead fixture and maybe add recessed lighting to round out the room. This would, certainly, be sufficient for what you need. But what about what you want?

While big, bright lights are effective, your real dream is to have a kitchen so stylish your friends and family drool over it – maybe even more than they do your cooking. In other words, what you want is unique kitchen lighting.

Unique kitchen lighting includes designs that are bold, inspiring and add value to your overall style. Here’s how to find those special pieces:

Unique Kitchen Lighting: What Types of Fixtures Stand Out?

If it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind. That’s why ceiling lights that hang down into your head space (without obstructing it) make for stunning statements. These include:

• Chandeliers
• Pendants
• Linear suspension lights

The best part is these fixtures offer endless variety. From wrought-iron chandeliers to shiny glass pendants, there’s something for everyone and every home. Regardless of style, though, there are some key features that every unique kitchen light fixture might have, including:

• High-end materials, like glass and polished chrome
• Abstract shapes
• Oversized structures
• Trendy styles, like industrial lanterns and modern orbs

Unique Kitchen Lighting: Where Do You Use It??

If you’re investing in a statement piece, you want to get the most bang for your buck. That’s why placement is key. You wouldn’t hang a Picasso in a walk-in closet, would you? No, you’d put it front and center, where every passerby can ogle over its beauty. Use this same strategy for your unique kitchen lighting and consider where you can make the most impact on the room. These are all smart placement options:

Kitchen island or peninsula – If you have an island or peninsula with room for seating, take advantage of it. This is prime real estate for one-of-a-kind kitchen island lighting, like a bold linear suspension chandelier or a series of powerful pendants.

Kitchen sink – You spend so much time at the sink that it becomes a focal point in the kitchen. Don’t miss your chance to dress up this specific spot with something that puts the “fun” in functional. A single pendant is probably all you need – and all that will fit.

Eat-in dining area – Many modern homes have been designed with open layouts that include an eat-in kitchen nook. Even if you never set this table with cloth napkins and candles, treat it like you would a formal dining room with an eye-catching fixture. Gather inspiration from popular dining room lighting trends and keep the piece proportional to your table.

Built-in desk – Larger kitchens might be blessed with a built-in desk that seamlessly blends with the rest of the cabinetry. The only problem is this area, usually, requires its own light source. You can brighten the countertop with undercabinet lighting, but a unique table lamp or mini pendant would also work wonders, here.

Unique Kitchen Lighting: How Do You Choose the Right Piece?

The best way to find your unique kitchen lighting fixture is to focus on style. You know what look you want to achieve in the heart of your home, so follow that vision. Whether it’s rustic-chic or contemporary-sleek, there are hundreds of options.

Below are our six favorite light fixtures for an eye-catching kitchen.

Armstrong Chandelier by Kichler Lighting

The style: Mid-century modern

What makes it unique: The first thing that grabs your attention about the Armstrong Chandelier is its firework design. It’s reminiscent of the sputnik design style that took hold in the “Atomic Age,” which ran from about the 1940s to 1960s. It was an age of excitement and hope for the future, which you can clearly see in the surprisingly adjustable Armstrong Chandelier.

Where to hang it: This modernized mid-century light fixture will be the star of your universe, hanging above a large kitchen island or centered over a round breakfast table.

Larmes Multi-Light Pendant by ET2 Lighting

The style: Contemporary

What makes it unique: Tear drops are falling down by the dozens. Literally, the Larmes Multi-Light Pendant features 24 cable-suspended bulbs, each of which are covered by a clear, curvy shade that lets the light shine straight through. You can re-position the teardrops individually, giving you the freedom to stagger the lights for an even more interesting effect.

Where to hang it: At over 37 inches long, the Larmes Pendant needs a lot of counterspace. Run it along a long kitchen island or rectangular dinner table that seats at least 10.

Feiss Lennex Suspension Light by Generation Lighting

The style: Modern farmhouse or industrial

What makes it unique: Vintage-style Edison bulbs rest inside a no-fuss, no-frills cage structure. The open-air cage with its sand-casted gray finish is a nod to the efficiencies emphasized during the Industrial Revolution. In fact, it’s because of its raw simplicity that the Feiss Lennex Suspension Light complements an authentic industrial loft as well as it does a chic farmhouse kitchen.

Where to hang it: The three-light billiard fixture plays well with an extended peninsula. Or, use the round light shades to counter-balance a small, square-shaped kitchen island.

Reverie Chandelier by Frederick Ramond

The style: Transitional

What makes it unique: There’s a sense of art deco lighting in the Reverie Chandelier’s robust roundness and tiered crystals. But look closer, and you’ll notice the details have been hammered with a kind of texture that feels more artful than over-the-top elegant. Between the narrow drum base and soft Champagne-gold accent, this has transitional design written all over it.

Where to hang it: If you only want one main light fixture, the Reverie Chandelier is a smart choice. At 36 inches wide with eight bulbs, you can trust it will illuminate your entire kitchen when placed in the very center of it all.

Solaris Mini Chandelier by Crystorama

The style: Modern farmhouse, traditional or transitional

What makes it unique: True to its name, the Solaris Mini Chandelier is out of this world. You can feel the energy buzzing around the orb. Think of these intersecting lines as the day-to-day chaos of your kitchen, while the clear crystal droplet signifies the fleeting moment of serenity you get when it’s just you and the dinner dishes. There’s a kind of balance in this unique kitchen lighting design, which makes it universally acceptable around the globe.

Where to hang it: Mini pendant lights like the Solaris Chandelier make more of a statement when hung in odd numbers (typically, threes) over a kitchen island, peninsula or elongated dining table.

Feiss Waveform Mini Pendant by Generation Lighting

The style: Modern

What makes it unique: When suspended from the ceiling, the Feiss Waveform Mini Pendant looks like a jar full of fireflies are lighting up your kitchen. The silver vacuum-plated finish muffles the Edison bulbs just enough to create a warm yellow glow. Meanwhile, their round glass bottoms disperse light in all directions. This two-toned pendant not only stands out for its light, but for its oversized bulb shape and striking simplicity.

Where to hang it: Use the rule of three to closely cluster the Feiss Waveform above your kitchen sink. Three pendants will become one without overwhelming the space. Of course, you can always create a series of mini pendants across your island or main cooktop.