Decorate

Light up in style

The latest styles in pendant lighting
Shania Shegdyn

If you’re looking to add an extra design feature to your place, why not try a pendant light? They’re more than just something to light up your life! Here’s a look at the latest trends and ways you can add something extra to your home with pendant lighting.

Pendant lighting | Home Beautiful Magazine Australia
(Credit: Chris Warnes)

Make it a feature

Instead of trying to make lighting invisible (think of the popularity of halogen downlights), these days interior light fittings add form as well as function and are a part of the interior design. A couple of pendants hung over a breakfast bar adds a sculptural element to the kitchen design. Other popular places for feature lights are over a dining table, in a stairwell or in the centre of a living area.

Pendant lighting | Home Beautiful Magazine Australia
(Credit: Jacqui Way)

Latest materials

The look is earthy. Natural materials in neutral tones such as porcelain, ceramic and even concrete. This theme is reflected in the shape. They are more curved and organic than the polished and angular edges of chrome. These are often combined with bright, metallic finished like copper and gold, to bring a warm glow to the room. Clear glass, especially with an exposed filament bulb has been around for a while but shows no sign of losing popularity.

Pendant lighting | Home Beautiful Magazine Australia
(Credit: Simon Whitbread)

More the merrier

If one light looks great, why not add more? Hanging pendant lights in clusters draws the eye and maximises their visual effect. Stagger the heights of the fittings for the best results.

Pendant lights | Home Beautiful Magazine Australia
(Credit: ANASTASIA KARIOFYLLIDIS)

Something for every room

Pendant lights aren’t just great for living areas! Feel like you’re visiting a spa every day of the week, with one hung in the bathroom as a feature. Make sure the fitting you choose will stand up to the moisture of the bathroom. You can also glam up your bedroom. A couple of pendants over your bedside tables help frame the bed and don’t clutter up the table either.

 

This article originally appeared on Better Homes and Gardens

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