What is a pendant light?
A pendant light is a fixture suspended from the ceiling by a cord, chain, or metal rod.
How do I select the right design for my home?
The first two things you need to consider when selecting pendant lights for a space in your home is:
- a) The overall style of your home, and
- b) The job you want it to fulfill.
When you’ve established both of these, you can narrow down your options. Choose pendants that complement or mimic the materials, colours, and shapes found throughout the room. Ask yourself if your pendants will serve as ambient lighting or task lighting. If it’s the latter, then open-bottom fixtures will provide more direct, concentrated illumination for areas like the bedside or kitchen island.
When should I use multiple pendants in a room?
Sometimes just one pendant is not enough. Long dining tables, kitchen islands and bar counters all benefit from multiple pendants, in order to create a balanced look. While the rule of three or odds is usually recommended, it can sometimes be broken in favour of two larger pendants. When spacing out your pendants, aim for the space between each pendant to be the same as the diameter or width of each fixture. This is not a hard and fast rule though, so play around with the spacing until it feels just right.
What height should I hang pendants above my dining table?
When suspending multiple pendant lights above a dining table, you never want them to block anyone’s line of sight. The distance between the bottom of the pendant and the tabletop should be around 75-90cm. This distance also applies to pendants suspended above a kitchen island. Best design practice recommends that there be a 15cm space from the edge of the table to the side of a fixture to ensure everything looks in proportion.
My ceiling is low but I love the look of a pendant - can it work in this space?
If your ceiling is exceptionally low then opt for a long, linear pendant light. This style of pendant still enables you to have a fixture that is a design feature, but it won’t look out of place or make the space feel unbalanced.