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Talk about a bright idea!

We all want to shed light on the areas of our homes that matter most—and the kitchen is no exception. Though a gorgeous backsplash, luxe countertops, and a functional footprint can often outshine a good glow, the right fixture can elevate your space and make your decadent dish appear even more appetizing. (Plus—after spending an unprecedented amount of time cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner—your kitchen could use a little upgrade.) If you want to take your culinary quarters’ style up a few notches, trade in the standard pendant for a fixture that makes maximum impact.

Craving a lightbulb moment for your kitchen? We culled the archives for the most eye-catching lighting inspiration to add to your space. From chandeliers to flush mounts and everything in between, you’re bound to find a bright idea below.

For a cluster of lights that makes a statement alone and together, you can’t go wrong with a lariat style. In this Beverly Hills home, designer Oliver M. Furth strung an Apparatus pendant above a glossy island that’s decked out in brass fixtures and vintage Bride’s Veil counter stools from Twentieth.

For this Vancouver home, design firm PlaidFox enlisted two squiggly pendants from Lambert & Fils to add a touch of whimsy to this modern kitchen. The final product is part playful, part pared-back, and all pristine.

Trade in the typical brass, bronze, and silver pendants with a light fixture flushed in bold, bright colors. Jessica Davis of Atelier Davis mastered the look in this Bay Area abode by pairing this lively Schneid from Stillfried Wien style with yellow appliances and cabinetry painted in Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue.

Pack on the visual appeal with mismatched fixtures, just as design firm Les Ensembliers did here. The three Formakami in this Montreal loft are slightly different, giving this an eclectic-yet-orderly edge.

As this kitchen Dash Marshall designed for a TriBeCa apartment proves, all good things come in threes. The Ladies & Gentleman pendants pair nicely with the wavy wooden island and cabinetry—making a space that’s equal parts chic and curvaceous.

Anyone who wants to pack on the drama will find a lot to love about the Apparatus fixture that designer Poonam Khanna added to this Hamptons beach house. Not only does the lengthy setup offset the spacious island, but it also draws the eye upward to highlight those tall ceilings.

Why settle for one light fixture when you can do a few? Summer Thornton juxtaposed the lights over the island—which were sourced from Roman and Williams Guild—with smaller flush mounts in an alcove. The result? A Chicago home that shines at full wattage.

Another way to prove the strength in numbers is by repeating the same fixture throughout your kitchen. Take a cue from Ryan Lawson, who made the most of Schoolhouse Electric Company’s flush mounts in this charming Connecticut home.

As the saying goes, go big or go home. In this verdant kitchen, designer Fabrizio Casiraghi created contrast and a statement with this Isamu Noguchi pendant. The result? A standout fixture that draws the eye upward and highlights the room’s high ceiling.

If you want to transport your kitchen to a different time and place, consider adding a vintage element. In this seaside villa, designer Lorenzo Castillo paired a gilded chandelier—which was sourced from a palace in Madrid—with an oak island and printed tiles.

Pendants, sconces, and flush mounts might be the go-to lighting styles for a kitchen, but if you want to shake things up, consider placing table lamps on your counters. In this Boca Raton home, designer Fawn Galli enlisted sunset-toned fixtures by Verner Panton.

In a kitchen with rustic touches in this Malibu, California, home designed by Steven Gambrel, black accents make for a modern look—most prominently the black industrial pendants above the black countertop.

A sleek pendant reminiscent of a billiards room hangs above a bright green island in a New York City apartment designed by Tom Scheerer and architect Gil P. Schafer.

With gray accents throughout the breakfast room of a Madrid apartment designed by Isabel López-Quesada, the yellow on the pendant adds a nice pop of brightness—almost like Pantone’s Colors of the Year for 2021, Illuminating and Ultimate Gray.

Adding some bold color brings this mostly white kitchen to life in an Upper East Side apartment designed by Stephen Sills.

These clear glass custom-made pendants in a Paris apartment by designer Lorenzo Castillo bring a subtle elegance to this emerald green kitchen.

These pendants would add a sophisticated design element to any kitchen, much like they do in this New Jersey home designed by Cullman & Kravis.

For a not-so-modern kitchen in Bill Brockschmidt’s palazzo in Sicily, this suspended pendant shines light both upward to the ceiling and below to the island, providing ample light for the whole space.

The ceiling fixtures in designer Thom Filicia’s Manhattan apartment kitchen give off that oh-so-warm mood lighting from its clear bulbs.

These shiny orbs fit the bill in a light-filled California kitchen designed by Academy Award–winning set designers David Wasco and Sandy Reynolds-Wasco.

In actress Sophia Bush’s Hollywood kitchen, designed by Jake Alexander Arnold, a white saucer pendant hangs from exposed beams, lending shape and texture to the plain white backdrop of the cabinets.

The three pendants above the island blend well with the rest of the neutral palette of this kitchen designed by Marc Glimcher and Fairfax Dorn for their Hamptons home.

An industrial feel graces this Delphine Krakoff-designed Miami kitchen thanks to pendant lights with hanging wires and a matte black finish.

Oversized cage pendants in a polished silver finish tie together this Miami kitchen while providing a generous amount of light.

This art aficionado’s Museum Mile kitchen is enlivened by dandelion chandeliers by Tony Duquette, which offer a playful touch in the classic yet modern space.

In a contemporary Lincoln Park kitchen, materiality is center stage with sleek steel light fixtures that give the space one of its many layers of texture.

In Martyn Lawrence Bullard’s jewel-toned California kitchen, striking brass pendants by Bullard for Corbett Lighting provide a luxe contrast to the space's rich green hues.

An antique black-plaster pendant light offers a modern appeal amidst the retro black-and-white design of this Paris kitchen.

A kitchen ceiling clad in glass tiles is accented by eight circa-1930 C.F. Otto Müller ceiling lights and grounded with a pendant designed by Steven Gambrel for the Urban Electric Co.

Subtle yet packed with personality, this kitchen by Stefani Stein Inc. features an industrial-style bulb pendant that makes the case for understated design.

In Chrissie Rucker's Buckinghamshire pool house, the rustic kitchen is layered with texture, illuminated by glass pendant hood lights hung from bronze poles.

Contemporary lampshade-style lights hang above a kitchen island in this prewar apartment designed by Lilly Bunn.

Contemporary pendants are dispersed across this D.C. kitchen, with a gilded appeal that balances the space's cool navy hues.

In the House of ELLE Decor's Neal Beckstedt-designed kitchen, globe pendants with a black-and-brass finish ground the contemporary space.

Sculptural tortoise pendant lights hang above this moody gray kitchen, serving as a focal point against the otherwise monochrome space.

In the kitchen of this lofted Los Angeles home, Hans Verstuyft brass pendants from Plug Lighting are a sleek counterpoint to an 1890s farm table framed by vintage French chairs from Obsolete.

A relatively traditional kitchen in this Tribeca condo is brought to life with a scattering of Murano-style blown glass pendants in confetti tones.

In the kitchen of this renovated spec home, natural light complements the custom cerused oak kitchen cabinetry with custom brass detailing. Circular pendant lights from Lambert & Fils provide contrast and bring out streaks of black in the marble countertops and backsplash from Marble America in New Rochelle, New York. The stools were sourced from CB2, and the appliances, Wolf.

In a New Orleans mansion, an open cage, polished nickel pendant from Arteriors casts stylish shadows in a marble kitchen.

On an idyllic Aegean island, the kitchen’s custom island is in stainless steel, the sinks and fittings are by Marcel Wanders for Boffi, and the wall cabinets, counters, and backsplash are in Carrara marble. The ceiling is clad in bamboo and walnut, and the light—a collection of Edison bulbs framed out in a glass rectangle—is custom.

In this Milanese attic apartment, the custom cabinetry is fitted with marble counters, and the ceramic pendant is vintage.

"The vintage Rolleiflex pendant lamps are also one of my favorite things in our home," Refinery29 founder Christine Barberich says of these blue and white striped pieces. "I found them on eBay for next to nothing and they cast the most beautiful glow."

In Homepolish co-founder Will Nathan's industrial loft, a trio of concrete gray pendants softly grounds a white and wood kitchen.

The custom kitchen island in Christina Juarez' home has a Carrara marble top, the pendants are by Tom Dixon, and the barstools are by CB2; the bar cart is by Homenature, and the Sam Still artwork above it hangs on a wall covered in a Madeline Weinrib wallpaper; the antique birthing chair is from New Orleans.

In Amanda Seyfried's Catskills home, the kitchen’s range and hood are by Wolf, the Whitehaus sink is fitted with a Kallista faucet, and the backsplash is of tiles by Heath Ceramics; the island has a countertop of Caesarstone, the pairs of pendant lights are by Tom Dixon, and the cabinets are painted in Aganthus Green by Benjamin Moore.

In this Connecticut kitchen, the island has a top of honed Carrara marble, the wall tiles are by Waterworks, the stove is Viking, and the stools are by York Street Studio; the 19th-century Windsor chair is a family heirloom, and the 1920s English pendants are from BK Antiques.

In a New York apartment, the kitchen’s sink, fittings, and tile backsplash are by Waterworks. The range is by Wolf, the pendants are by Circa Lighting, the custom island has a Calacatta marble top, and the flooring is limestone with black-marble cabochons.

In a London townhouse, the kitchen cabinetry by Plain English is painted in Pure Grey 6 by Papers and Paints, the 1955 pendant lights are by Serge Mouille, the wall tiles are by Neisha Crosland and the floor is made of three types of limestone.

In this home, the dining table and chairs are by DimoreStudio, the Sputnik ceiling light is by Fedele Papagni, and the marble flooring is original to the 1970s building in this Monte Carlo apartment. The artworks in the dining area are by Pierre Le-Tan.

The unique structure of this Artemide light fixture in an eat-in kitchen is made out of aluminum and white metal. The sleek design allows for "...a nuanced mix of light and shadow".

The light, striped wallpaper in this West Village dining room is illuminated with simple Areti wall sconces, designed to reflect light outward and fill the entire space. Other furnishings include a table and a banquette upholstered in Maharam fabrics, The Thonet chairs are vintage, the barstool is by Gubi, the wallcovering is Work + Sea’s Watercolor Stripe and the artworks include pieces by Wardell Milan, John Register, and Jeff Lewis.

The hand made chandelier in this Upper West Side apartment adds a metallic element that gives movement to the space. The dining table and banquette in this apartment, upholstered in a Maharam mohair, are custom designs; the swivel chairs are by Koi and the painting is by Allen Anthony Hansen.

In a glamorous Central Park apartment, the kitchen table is by Egg Collective, the Holly Hunt chairs are covered in a leather from Keleen Leathers and the light fixture is by Lindsey Adelman.

In the kitchen of an Upstate New York ranch, handmade lantern-style ceiling lamps were designed with the intention of creating "a harmonious blend of Japanese handcraft and modernist form." A root table found at an upstate New York auction was fitted with a glass top, the Josef Hoffmann chairs are covered in a vintage Larsen fabric, the ceiling incorporates beams from a 19th-century Pennsylvania barn and the lights are by Isamu Noguchi .

In Tamara Mellon’s Hamptons house, pendant lights by Tom Dixon create a refined, disco-esq vibe. The shape and material of the fixture is “lightweight yet robust and reflects its environment, projecting downward ambient light” (via tomdixon.net). The cabinetry is custom made, the oven and stove are by Wolf, and the walls are painted in Benjamin Moore's Decorators White.

Salvagni designed the brass light fixture in the kitchen of a Rome palazzo. The 1780 Venetian portrait is of a family ancestor, the custom-made cabinetry is painted in Farrow & Ball's Elephant's Breath, and the walls are painted in Skimming Stone.

This kitchen island was made with reclaimed wood from the Upstate New York house, the countertop is Carrara marble, and the refrigerator is by Sub-Zero; the light fixtures are from Time and Materials, and the window frames, shutters, and cabinetry are painted in Farrow & Ball's Buff.

Vintage light fixtures from an ammunition factory hang above an early-19th-century shop counter in this UK kitchen; the floor is painted in Farrow & Ball's Down Pipe.

The kitchen stools are by BDDW, the pendant lights are by Paul Ferrante, and the ceiling fixtures are by Charles Edwards in this Santa Monica kitchen. The range is BlueStar, the refrigerator is Sub-Zero, and the custom-made cabinetry is painted in Farrow & Ball's Old White.

In a Manhattan kitchen the chairs and banquette are custom made, the Saarinen table is from Design Within Reach, and the pendant light is from Avantgarden; the wallpaper is by Hines & Company, and the herringbone flooring is original.

This Hollywood Hills kitchen features vintage pendants from Obsolete, BassamFellows stools from Design Within Reach, and a sink by Shaws with fittings by Jaclo. The custom-made cabinetry is painted in Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue, the countertops are Carrara marble, and the hood by Modern-Aire is custom made, as is the flooring by Granada Tile.

On the Upper East Side, pendants from a Czechoslovakian factory and 1940s stools by Warren McArthur in the kitchen; the oven is by Wolf, the floor is lined with Corten steel tiles, and the staircase is suspended from cable supports.

A chandelier by Jonas Bohlin for Örsjö Belysning hangs above a custom-made table in a Swedish kitchen. The chairs are by Magis, and the rug is sisal.

The kitchen cabinetry in this Hamptons house is custom made, the stools are by BassamFellows, and the pendant lights are by Louis Poulsen; the refrigerator is by Sub-Zero, and the hood is by Wolf.

The custom made kitchen counters and sink are accented by a pair of stylish pendants, and the dishwasher is by Fisher & Paykel in a home in New York's famed Tuxedo Park.

Pendants by Circa Lighting hang above the granite-topped kitchen island. The cabinetry is custom made, the range is by De Dietrich, and the flooring is granite and quartzite in this Paris kitchen.

In a New York apartment the kitchen counters are Calacatta Gold marble, the sink fittings are by Waterworks, and stools by Palecek are covered in a Designtex fabric; the cabinetry is painted in Benjamin Moore's Stonington Gray, the hood is custom made, and the walls are sheathed in Walker Zanger tiles.

The kitchen island and counters in this New York home are topped with a Caesarstone surface, the Bertoia barstools are by Knoll, and the 1950s pendants are Italian; the refrigerator is by Thermador, and the sink by Elkay has Rohl fittings.

Pendant lights by Produzione Privata hang above this marble-top kitchen counter in Westchester, the bar chairs are by Thonet, and the table is custom made, as are the milk glass–lined cabinets. The backsplash tiles are by Waterworks.

In this New York kitchen, the custom cabinetry is ebonized oak topped with Nero Marquina marble, the Milo Baughman barstools were found on eBay, and the iron sculpture is a Paris flea market find; the range is by Jade, the refrigerator is by Sub-Zero, and the sink fittings are by Kohler. Most importantly: The light is Serge Mouille.

The walnut-veneer kitchen island in Paris and cabinetry are custom made, the stools are by Mater Design, and the pendant lights are by Tom Dixon; the ovens and refrigerator are by Gaggenau, and the sink fittings are by Franke.