Pendant Lights

Pendant Lighting: Things to Consider

A pendant light can shift the mood of a room, highlighting architectural details, anchoring a layout, or adding gentle ambiance. Before choosing one, it helps to think about both practical needs and design goals so you can select pendant lighting that truly enhances your space.

First: Scale is key. Small pendant lights work beautifully over compact tables, reading nooks, or tight entry spaces, while large pendant lights can define a room and add visual impact. If you want an expansive look, wide pendant lights offer generous diameter without overwhelming a space. Consider height as well—adjustable drops make it easier to place hanging lights at the perfect level. You can shop by these features with our robust filters. 

Light quality matters, too. Clear glass shades offer bright, open illumination while diffused shades or fabric drums soften the glow. Integrated dimming features also help adjust the lighting for different moods and moments.

Pendant Light Styles and Designs

Start with shape. There are several types of pendant fixtures, each with its own silhouette, lighting pattern, and stylistic feel. Here are a few you’ll see most often:

Drum Pendants

A timeless option with clean lines, drum designs offer soft, diffused light and an elegant profile that complements both modern and transitional spaces.

Cylinder Pendants

Sleek and stately, cylinder pendants bring a tailored look that works well in multiples over countertops or long dining surfaces. They are great for augmenting the height of a space. 

Globe Pendants

Soft impact with a chic feel, globe fixtures cast even illumination. They can add vintage warmth or read strikingly modern in an edited space. Globes can also be used in multiples to create brilliant statement features as with the Alumina Pendant Light by Tala.

Dome Pendants

With their directional shape, dome fixtures concentrate light downward—ideal for task areas or design moments that call for focus.

Bowl Pendants

A classic, versatile choice that diffuses light upward and outward, creating a warm, ambient glow. They wash a ceiling in light, for brightness without glare. 

Take note, material matters. In addition to these silhouettes, pendant lights come in a range of materials that help define your look and enrich the space overhead:

• Woven + Rattan - For organic warmth and relaxed texture, woven and rattan pendants bring an easy elegance to the room. Woven fixtures filter light softly, adding a natural glow that suits cottage-inspired, coastal, or warmly collected interiors.
• Glass - Glass pendants offer a dynamic look—from crystal-clear to softly frosted or richly tinted glass—subtly informing both color and diffusion in the room. The clean silhouette works beautifully in modern, minimal, or transitional interiors.
• Ceramic - Artful and substantial, ceramic pendants introduce sculptural presence with handcrafted character. Their matte finishes and organic forms pair beautifully with earthy, collected, or Mediterranean-inspired aesthetics. Go for a designer touch with our exclusive Soft Petal Pendant by Lolly Lolly Ceramics.
  
• Metal - Sleek and versatile, metal pendants range from polished and sophisticated to industrial and moody. Whether in vintage brass or crisp blackened tones, they lend a tailored edge that works well in contemporary, modern, and transitional rooms.

Pendant Lighting by Room

Overhead light fixtures are often already set into your home’s layout. Finding spaces to install or upgrade a pendant or hanging light to enhance your design is one of the most effective ways to refresh a room’s tone. This design element takes up no footprint but touches every corner of the room. From large, open-concept living areas to intimate nooks and functional spaces, we want the perfect pendant in the perfect place—so let’s look at pendant lighting room by room.

Entryway Pendant Lights

You want to center the pendant over a major element in your entryway, such as a console table or rug. Chandeliers are often used to create a grand impression at the entry of a home—you can achieve this same effect in a smaller space with a statement pendant. Over a table, a pendant light should be mounted about 30” to 36” over the surface. If you are styling an entryway pendant light as the only fixture in the space, mount it higher for a wider spread of light. 

Kitchen Pendant Lights

Pendants work in every space, but the kitchen is where they really shine. This is where you may look to smaller pendants such as this cylinder-style Putnam Pendant Light that can be used in multiples over an island counter or in a galley kitchen. In an eat-in kitchen, a pendant can be the perfect touch of light over the table. You want bright illumination with a good spread from kitchen pendant lights, as cooking and food preparation require a lot of task light and you may not have as many other lighting elements as you would in another room.

Dining Room Pendant Lights

As we mentioned, drum and dome designs make great dining room pendant lights over a small table or can be used in multiples over a longer one. You can also use them to highlight a sideboard or hang them at varying heights to create a brilliant statement feature in an open-plan layout. In smaller spaces, pendants can be used with other dining room lighting elements to create a cozier, more intimate feel. Hanging lights should be about 30” to 36” above the table or lower if you’re curating that more intimate space. 

Bedroom Pendant Lights 

Looking for that new bedroom feel without changing your bed. Look to a stylish pendant as a jumping-off point for a bedroom lighting redesign. Ceiling pendant lights can be styled over a vanity or dresser area, hung as an accent light in a corner, or placed over the center of the bed to cozy up a grand layout. In the bedroom, you can go for warmth and character with woven lighting or add a pop of pattern with our Jordan Pendant Light—the soft-textured shade is a natural fit for a tranquil space. 

Living Room Pendant Lights

Living room lighting often involves more elements working together to create a layered approach that can transform from a bright social space to a cozy, quiet haven with the flip of a few switches (or voice prompts). Depending on your layout, pendant lights can play an essential role in ambient, task, and even accent lighting. As a rule, pendants sit over features—such as a coffee table, console table, or in a corner lighting a reading nook. You can also use them in multiples for more general lighting in the space. 

However you style it, remember that lighting allows you the flexibility to showcase the nuances of your design aesthetic. Loved ones and visitors can immediately get a sense of who you are by seeing how you have augmented your space with thoughtfully chosen light fixtures. 

Lulu and Georgia Pendant Lights

When you shop for lighting for your home at Lulu and Georgia, you’ll find pieces that complement your style while making it feel more elevated. Choose from our wide selection of pendants and hanging light fixtures to find the perfect purchase for your project, no matter what you’re looking for. Check out our shop-by-room page for more ideas and inspiration on creating stylish everyday living spaces.