We all have some form of pendant lighting in our homes as this is the most common indoor light fixture for many homes.
When we talk about pendant lighting, we are referring to a light fitting that is suspended from the ceiling by an electrical flex and has some sort of light source, i.e.light bulb and lamp shade attached at the other end. Really speaking, pendant lighting is not just one type or style of light fixture. It can refer to chandelier lighting or just plain paper globes. Both of these light fixtures fall into the very broad category of pendant lighting.
Lamp End Tables
By its very nature, pendant lighting is very noticeable and therefore it is wise to choose your pendants with great care. Pendant lights can range from the most simplistic of designs to the more decorative and ornamental styles so ensure that the type and style of pendant light you purchase, is one that complements the decor of the room. As well as aesthetics, you will also want to see how much light your potential pendant light will give out. Its not just the type of bulb that you have that determines the quality of light given out.
Factors such as the room size, the height of the light source above the floor, the size, shape and material of the pendant lampshade - all of these things affect the quality of light.
A lot of the pendant style lighting fixtures available these days draw heavily on their ancestors which, in the pre-electric days, were chandeliers often bearing multiple candles.
A more modern day type of light fixture that is still included as a pendant light is the faithful paper globe. These come in all different sizes and easily dominate a room with their full blown shape.
Rise-and-fall pendant lights can be adjusted so that they can be placed at different heights from the floor. These are the types of pendants that you would typically adjust so that the light fixture hangs low over the dining table in order to produce a more intimate mood.
The norm in many households is to have the pendant light in the centre of a room and then perhaps to supplement this light by various other light fixtures within the room.
A more creative way of using pendant lighting would be to have pendant lights in off-centre positions within the room, maybe to complement some of your interior furnishings or an ornamental object.
Pendant lighting can be used creatively to delineate areas of space within a room. So, by using your imagination and creative flair, you can use the lighting to segment your room into different areas, perhaps having an corner for listening to music or reading a book, for example. Also, having multiple pendant lights hanging together is a more effective way of showcasing your lighting and visually looks better too.
Even if you have pendant lights in different parts of the room, you do not necessarily have to ensure that they are identical provided that they still go together stylistically.