Pendant Lighting

Pendant Lighting might sound like a technical term, but all it refers to is a light that is fixed to the ceiling but hangs a distance down, like a glowing pendant. Some are suspended by a chain, a reinforced cable or several smaller, more delicate chains, not unlike a locket on a silver chain. The category is one that encompasses so many of our favourite types of light fitting. Pendant lights can be round, square, made of almost material and in a host of different sizes. Simple pendant lights are often a suspended bulb in a round or cone-shaped shade. There are also globe pendant lights and pendant lights with built-in reflector plates or mirrors. Pendant lights are a very versatile item that can be used in lots of different ways. Pendant lights can be an attractive option for indoor or outdoor porches, over staircases, centrally in dining rooms, bedrooms and games rooms. They provide well-diffused light that spreads across the whole room. Pendant lights do not have to be one single central pendant light either. You could have pendant lights hung at different levels to highlight different areas or pieces of art, you could even install a pendant light in an outdoor porch as a beacon when you come home. A major advantage of pendant lights is that some light is often reflected up onto your ceiling. White ceilings will then tend to reflect that light back down across the room, giving a good general level of light. It is the base layer of lighting design that eliminates wasted shady nooks and crannies. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that pendant lights are only for a base layer of lighting, they are more than up to the task of accent and task lighting. A pendant light hanging over your dining room table can give an intimate, cosy feeling to family meals or a pendant light over your armchair in a reading corner can give you the light you need without the need for yet another side table. In a larger room, you could place lights to draw people into the living area with a low slung light above a large corner sofa or make a favourite painting pop. A pair of pendant lights on either side of your bed is a perfect alternative to getting a bulky pair of bedside nightstands. Keep your bedside minimal by having your lighting taken care of by a matching pair of pendants. A lovely type of symmetry and an example of pendant lights as ideal task lighting. Another opportunity for beautiful task lighting with pendant lights crops up in a workshop. Matching evenly spaced chrome pendant lights over a workbench are useful and chic. Pendant lights are also a great choice for powered greenhouses and in cellars that need a functional lighting option. Your kitchen is one more place that would be remiss not to consider the option of a pendant light for. A pendant light hung above a kitchen table or freestanding kitchen unit is a perfect way to get the light you need for kitchen prep and set the tone for a room which traditionally contains few ornaments or textiles. Pendant lights are also a perfect fitting to make your choice of shade really shine. A Chintz fabric to soften a box-shaped shape, a shiny chrome hat to make the most of the light, a beaded drum shade to gleam when the bulb lights up in the centre. You could even forgo a shade altogether and go for a vintage style filament bulb to dial up the vintage personality. Pendant lights are a stalwart and a star, all in one.