5 Tips for Designing Your Home with Pendant Lamps

Available in a wide range of styles, pendant lamps serve as both functional and decorative light fixtures. A pendant is suspended from a wire, chain or cord and can take the form of a cylinder, drum, ball, tear drop or many other whimsical shapes. Install pendant lamps above your dining or breakfast table, a kitchen island or bar, in your entry foyer or over a desk. Consider these tips when designing your home with pendant lamps:

1. Scale

Choose a pendant lamp scaled appropriately for the space. Don't hang a tiny fixture above your large dining table, or a giant pendant that overwhelms your breakfast nook. Before purchasing a fixture, and especially when purchasing online, note the fixture's dimensions to determine that it is a good fit for the space. Just in case, be sure the store offers a return or exchange policy.

2. Style

Consider the decor of your space. Is the room's design traditional or more modern? Select a pendant fixture that blends well with the overall room design by considering the materials it's made of and the detailing. A pendant featuring a fabric-wrapped drum shade provides a classic and timeless look, and you can coordinate the color or pattern of the fabric with your home's color palette. Pendant lamps are also available with metal, blown glass or acrylic finishes with detailing that ranges from Mission-style to Art Deco and everything in between. Don't be afraid of color. Colorful pendant fixtures add a splash to otherwise minimal, modernist designs. For example, a red Chinese lantern casts a warm glow across the entire room.

3. Arrangement

Group pendant fixtures together to make a dramatic statement. While some people hang identical pendant fixtures in a row, such as over a kitchen island, you may also group fixtures of different styles close together. For the best result, work in odd numbers, such as three or five, and choose fixtures with shapes that complement each other or different sizes of the same shape. Be sure to stagger the fixtures at different heights. This approach makes an impact in a space with a high ceiling, such as a foyer.

4. Hanging Height

Test the right height to hang your pendant lamp. If your pendant is in a space in which you will walk beneath it, be sure it is hanging high enough so that no one will hit their heads. Over a dinner table, the fixture should hang low enough to properly illuminate the surface without creating glare for those who are seated. Most pendant lamps are adjustable, so this is usually a process of trial and error, but a good rule of thumb is to hang the fixture around 32 to 40 inches above the surface of the table.

5. Dimming

Install a dimmer for your pendant lamp so you can adjust it to fit your mood. Ideally, a good lighting scheme incorporates several light sources, from overhead fixtures to task lighting, such as lamps. Your pendant light can provide enough light for daily activities or be dimmed to soften the scene and serve as an art element in the evening.