Pendant Lighting

by Giorgina Devereaux

When pendant lights are dimmed, they resemble a soft spotlight that casts a romantic glow in the space, further enhancing the overall exquisiteness of the fixture and surrounding decor. 

Have you ever noticed that fancy restaurants feature dimmed lights, often from pendants? 

It's because of the ambience they create. 

If you want to make an elegant statement and light up your room's life, consider incorporating pendants into the following areas:

• Above a Kitchen Island

• Above the Breakfast Bar

• Bar

• Bathroom

• Bedroom

• Breakfast Nook

• Dining Room

• Family Room

• Foyer/Entrance

• Game Room

• Garage Work Bench

• Gym

• Hallway

• Living Room

• Loft

• Office

• Powder Room

• Reading Nook

• Tech Center

Pendant Lighting Styles

• Art Deco
• Arts and Crafts/Mission
• Asian
• Coastal/Nautical
• Contemporary/Modern
• Cottage 
• French Country
• Gothic
• Medieval
• Moroccan
• Retro
• Rustic 
• Shabby Chic/Vintage
• Southwestern
• Traditional
• Transitional
• Tropical
• Tuscan
• Victorian
• Western
• Whimsical

Pendant Lighting Finishes/Colors/Materials 

• Alabaster

• Black

• Blue

• Brass/Gold

• Bronze

• Brown

• Chrome/Silver

• Copper 

• Crystal

• Green

• Iron

• Nickel/Pewter/Steel 

• Off White/Neutral

• Orange

• Red

• Stained Glass/Tiffany

• White

• Wood

• Wrought Iron

Pendant Sizes 

• Mini Pendant Lighting is usually less than 12 inches wide 
• Small: 13-22 inches wide  
• Medium: 23-30 inches wide
• Large: 31 inches wide and up

Pendant Features

The beauty about pendants is that they come in a wide array of styles, sizes, finishes, and options. 

Once you decide which areas of your home you wish to illuminate with pendant lights, it is important to consider whether you will opt for inverted or down light pendant fixtures.

Inverted Pendant Lighting:  Inverted pendants have lamps that face toward the ceiling, which provides glare-free, indirect, and subtly diffused ambient lighting. 

To clarify, “ambient lighting” refers to light that comes from all directions.

However, inverted pendant lighting is not the best option for spaces that require task illumination. 

“Task illumination” or “task lighting” is lighting that is focused on a specific area in order to make the completion of visual tasks easier.

Areas that are best suited for inverted pendant fixtures are as follows:

• Bedroom

• Dining Room

• Family Room

• Foyer/Entrance

• Gym

• Hallway

• Living Room

• Loft

• Office

• Powder Room

Down Light Lighting:  Down light pendant fixtures are mostly used for areas that require a great deal of task lighting. 

These fixtures contain a lampshade that faces down, thus projecting light downward. 

Areas that are best suited for down light pendant fixtures are as follows:

• Above a Kitchen Island

• Above the Breakfast Bar

• Bar

• Bathroom

• Breakfast Nook

• Game Room (above the pool table)

• Garage Work Bench

• Reading Nook

• Tech Center

Although down light lighting does produce some ambient illumination, it is generally used to supplement an existing ambient light scheme. 

Types of Pendant Lighting

After determining if you prefer inverted or down light lighting, consider whether you would like it in the form of multi-light pendants, mini pendants, pendant chandelier lighting, or pendant track lighting.

Multi-Light Pendant:  Multi-light pendants consist of more than one single pendant contained within one fixture. 

These pendants beautifully make use of horizontal or vertical spaces and are the perfect accent to a kitchen island, dining room table, and area above a pool table.

Mini Pendants:  Mini pendant lights are usually smaller than 12" and subtly beautify the area they illuminate. 

Great places for mini pendant lights are small reading nooks, above a kitchen island or breakfast nook, and other cozy areas. 

For a distinctive look, consider installing a group of 3 to 4 mini pendant lights in a row. 

If you want to create a unified look, consider using the same type of lights. 

To add variation, you could install a set of mini pendant lights in a row at different heights by tapering a few inches in height.

Mini pendant lights are a wonderful way to provide comfortable lighting that is direct, but not overbearing. 

Pendant Chandelier Lighting:  Pendant chandeliers are an extraordinary way to bring design with a special pop.  It is ideal for dining areas or work spaces where you need plenty of light.  In addition, pendant chandeliers enable you to highlight wall pieces or accent furniture in the room.

They are available in beautifully patterned shades and also come with a swag chain feature where you can hang the fixture on a swag hook. 

Pendant Chandelier Lighting is Available in the Following Designs:

• Abstract
• Bold Stripes
• Bowl Pendant
• Damask in the following colors: 
  • Black
  • Champagne
  • Cobalt Blue
  • Gold
  • Grey
  • Indigo
  • Ivory
  • Olive
  • Purple
  • Red
  • Silver
  • Tan
• Floral
• Geometric
• Giclée that features the following: 
  • A Blooming Rose
  • Cardinal Perched on a Bird Feeder
  • Cat and Butterfly
  • Chickadees in the Spring
  • Country Garden
  • French Crest
  • Gold Finch
  • Laundry Day Cat
  • Marilyn Monroe
  • Red Valentine Hearts
  • Sleeping Kittens
  • Spring Garden
  • Summer Lilac
  • Tiki Mermaids
  • Tropical Adventure
  • Wine and fruit
• Rainbows

Pendant Track Lighting:  If you are looking for something unique, then pendant track lighting could be an option.  Pendant track lighting is versatile, adaptable, and allows you to configure a lighting scheme that is custom made to meet your individual needs.  It either hangs from the rail or is attached with fully adjustable lights.

You can choose from pre-assembled track lighting kits, build your own track light package, or choose new track heads or track lights to add to or reconfigure an existing system to fit function and design preferences. 

Pendant track lighting can be used in the following areas:

• Countertop or bar lighting in a kitchen or bathroom
• To provide additional light over a designated workspace
• As accent lighting for artwork or collections
• In a home gym
• To create a dramatic effect in a foyer or family room

Pendant track lighting fixtures are available in the following materials:

• Colorful Art
• Colored Fabric
• Clear Glass
• Crystal

Tracks are available in the following layouts:

• Cross Layout Sectional – This configuration is perfect for spreading light out over larger ceilings
• Grid Style – A track in a grid configuration provides measured light pockets
• Monorail Style – These rails are bendable and conform to custom lighting patterns
• Ninety Degree Track with a Flex Connector – This is used for traveling up to the peak of a vaulted ceiling and back down the other side
• Straight Run Track – This is a traditional and simple layout
•  “T” Style Track – Allows for a focused lighting configuration

Pendant Track Lighting Monorails are available in the following finishes:

• Antique Bronze

• Bronze

• Brushed Brass

• Brushed Nickel

• Chrome

Pendant lights make the perfect complement to any décor and interior design whether you are you are looking to bring a sense of regal sophistication, style, or function to your kitchen, bar, game room, dining room, bathroom, family room, foyer, or hallway. 

As with any lighting fixtures, it is important that the pendant lights complement and accentuate the surrounding décor and existing lighting for a unified look.