How to Choose Pendant Lights for Your Home
Investing in quality lighting solutions is one of the essential factors when it comes to improving the appearance and functionality of your living space. Whether you just want to liven up the minimalism or redesign your home entirely, you can choose pendant lights to provide illumination and a touch of style.
A pendant light is a light fixture that’s suspended like the pendant on a necklace, hence the name. It is mounted to the ceiling and hangs down from the ceiling on a rod or chain, or on a few chains. It consists of a ceiling rose, suspension cord and a lamp holder that is finished with a bare bulb or shade.
Pendant lighting can be a powerful element in your home décor, but you need to make sure to choose the right fixtures. Here are a few tips that can help you make your decision easily and complete your living space with ceiling lights.
How to Choose the Right Pendant Lighting for Your Home
There are many different ways to go about choosing a pendant light. You can find a wide range of pendant lights and choose the fixtures that work best with your style, so you can create an inviting and warm place for your family and visitors. To help you narrow down your options, here are some of the most commonly used types of pendant light fixtures you can consider to perfectly match your décor theme.
Different Types of Pendants
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Shade Pendants
As the name suggests, these lights include a pendant light fixture with a shade usually made of glass, metal, wicker, wood or fabric.
Drum Shade Pendants
Made up of a cylindrical drum-shaped shade, this type of pendant light is a great choice if you want to make a statement in your living space. They are the perfect option for ambient light.
Glass Pendants
This is a classic style and one of the most popular options on the market. Glass pendants feature a glass shade in different forms and designs and are a great choice for both modern and traditional home styles.
Globe Pendants
This type of pendant light features spherical round shades attached to a pendant light fixture. They are perfect for distributing light evenly in a room.
Cord Pendants
Made up of a ceiling rose, suspension cord and a bare light bulb, this type of pendant light is effective as a subtle statement in any room and can add a unique touch to your home interior.
Multi-Arm Pendants
This type of pendant light is similar to a chandelier and is a great choice for installing over an oval, round or rectangular table.
Consider the Size of Your Pendant Light
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Small pendant light fixtures look great in areas like foyers, bathrooms, walking wardrobes and reading hooks, while large hanging lamps or multilight fixtures are ideal for dining rooms and living rooms. To make sure you choose the right size, consider the ceiling height first and measure the entire room, so you can play with the height to find the perfect balance.
Determine the Purpose of Your Pendant Light
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Think about what you want your light to do. A pendant light fixture can be mounted as the central fixture in almost any room, while one or more pendant fixtures can be used to light a hallway. When using pendant light fixtures for general lighting, they throw some of the light up onto the ceiling and as the light spreads across the ceiling and reflecting back down, it allows you to see more of the room and the room itself as well.
When a pendant light fixture is used for area lighting, it only lights up part of the room. You can place your pendant light over a table that is off to the side of a room and make it stand out or install two pendant light fixtures over each end of your living room sofa, so it can make it feel more comfortable and ideal for reading.
Determine the Number of Pendants You Will Need
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Determining your pendant light quantity depends on their function and where you plan to install them. If you are considering multiple drop pendants, keep in mind that you need to achieve a balance between the pendants, their arrangement and the room. When hanging multiple pendants, make sure to measure your space to ensure you have enough room for all of them. Usually, when you are hanging multiple pendants, it’s a good idea to choose a small pendant light fixture, but if you hanging only one pendant, then feel free to choose a big fixture that will make a statement in the room.
Hang Your Pendant Light Fixtures at the Right Height
Finding the right height to hang every pendant light is the most crucial element when it comes to installation. Larger lights can be hung higher while smaller lights can be hung lower within a space. Pendants hung too low can obstruct views across the room and make the entire space feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, pendants hung too high can be lost in the space and fail to meet their aesthetic purpose.
In the end, when it comes to any light installation, safety is a top priority, so it’s always a good idea to call a professional and leave the hard-wiring to those who know best.