What Is the Height for Lights Above a Kitchen Table?

If you have a table set up in your kitchen, it's highly likely that you have a ceiling-mounted light directly over the table. No universal standard exists for the height of lights hung over a table, but when installing this style of light, it's important to follow a number of rules for safety and functionality. Does this Spark an idea?

Ceiling Height

The standard height for kitchen ceilings is 8 feet. As such, when lights are hung directly from the ceiling, they reduce the height of the area directly below them. When a light is hung 1 foot below the ceiling, for example, the space under the light is now just 7 feet in height.

Safety

Regardless of the style of light you hang, adjust the light's height so that it doesn't jeopardize the safety of the residents and guests in your home. A light hung extremely low can be a danger to a tall person. When this person stands up after sitting at the kitchen table, he may bang his head on the light, causing a minor head injury and even damage to the light. Because most people are less than 6 feet tall, keep the bottom of lights no more than 2 feet below the ceiling. If you have tall family members, raise the light accordingly.

Installation

Regardless of whether you are trying to install the kitchen lighting yourself or are having an electrician do the work for you, decide the height of your lights by trial and error. Have someone sit at the table while you hold the light, and then reverse the roles. Come up with a consensus on the ideal height of the light. If it's too high, it might not illuminate the table appropriately. If it's too low, it may affect tall people and generally be an obstruction.

Alternatives

Instead of hanging a light that can possibly come in contact with someone at the table, you can use alternatives such as track lighting and pot lighting. The former is easier to install; you mount a track across the ceiling and affix spotlight-style lights to it. Pot lights are actually inset in the ceiling, which requires a lengthier installation process.