How To Select The Right Pendant Lights To Complete Your Space

Pendant lights always make a statement. Read the top 4 tips to hanging a pendant light and look through the 12 pendant light inspirations below.

The addition of a pendant lights, whether as a feature or as task-specific lighting, can easily change a dull room into a dramatic interior.

With a wide range of colours and styles to choose from, pendant lights not only provide illumination but can also form dramatic sculptural artworks within a space.

But how do you select the right pendant lights for your space? We have compiled a list of questions that will help make your decision easier:

1. – WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF YOUR PENDANT LIGHTS?

When selecting your pendant lights, first decide what its main function will serve. There are three separate uses for a pendant light:

There are three separate uses for pendant lights:

1.  Overall light and all-purpose illumination
2.  Task lighting for safety and clarity of the task
3.  Feature or accent lighting, highlighting specific areas

The colour and intensity of the bulb you choose will affect the mood and effectiveness of your lighting.

When selecting pendant lights for overall lighting, consider a pendant with a light diffuser or use semi-opaque bulbs, to avoid circles of bright light being cast onto your space.

For task lighting, choose pendants that are open at the top to ensure the light underneath is not too harsh.

For feature or accent lighting add a dimmer switch to your pendant lights, to create versatile light output.

The style of pendants will also need to suit your functional needs. For a softer glow, select fabric pendant lights where the light is diffused through the fabric shade.

For task lighting, select glass or acrylic shade pendants which maximise the light output and emit a concentrated light.

2. – WHAT IS THE SIZE OF THE SPACE YOUR PENDANT LIGHTS WILL HANG IN?

When selecting your pendant lights, first consider the size of the space the pendant will feature in, including the height and width of the area.

Oversized fittings can clutter a room and restrict lines of vision, while an undersized pendant will look insignificant.

As a general rule the larger the area, the bigger the pendant lights should be.

3. – HOW DO YOU POSITION YOUR PENDANT LIGHTS WITHIN A ROOM?

If your room requires overall light, space pendants evenly throughout the room.

Clustering is a great technique and can be used to create a nook in the corner of a room or to embellish a stairwell with a cascade of lights.

Try hanging pendants at different heights or selecting different shapes or colours of pendants from the same pendant range.

4. – WHAT HEIGHT SHOULD YOU HANG YOUR PENDANT LIGHTS?

The most crucial element to installing pendant lights is the height at which you hang them.

Pendants hung too low will obstruct views across the room and will also dominate the room. However, pendants hung too high will be lost in the space.

As a general rule, larger lights can be hung higher while smaller lights can be hung lower within a space.

For more specific lighting:

• Pendants used as task lighting above areas such as kitchen sinks should be hung approximately 1.8m from the floor.
• Pendants above dining tables should be hung between 1.5 and 1.7m from the floor, allowing for unobstructed conversations between diners.
• Pendants within a room of a 2.4m ceiling height should be hung about 1.9 – 2.1m from the floor.
• There is also the option of selecting pendants with retractable cords which are easily adjustable to suit different tasks.

Pendant Light Gallery