Decorate

Pendant light perfection

Game changers in any space
Simon Whitbread

Adding a pendant light give a space punch visually and provides task lighting to a specific area.

It’s all about the placement. Using a pendant in a living room, kitchen, dining or bedroom can direct lighting where you need it and make a big impact. Choose lighting with your home’s colour, texture, palette and decorating style foremost in your mind and remember to consider scale – an oversized light looks fabulous as a feature but can dominate a space if other pieces around it aren’t in some way supportive of the piece.

Here are ten ways to achieve pendant perfection.

1. Wood pendant light

Keep is simple to make a statement. Timber dome pendants are the hero of this kitchen, reflected in the timber bar stools.

Pendant light perfection
(Credit: Shania Shegedyn)

2. Cage pendant

Rattan is all the rage and an easy and affordable way to bring this trend into your home decor is using woven pendant lights.

Pendant light perfection
(Credit: John Downs)

3. Matt black pendants

Particularly successful in a light, bright kitchen space, a pair of matt black pendants are used here to great effect – working beautifully to reflect the matt black tapware and sink.

Pendant light perfection
(Credit: John Downs)

4. The modern pendant

Porcelain is a beautiful material for lighting due to its semi-transparent properties. These dome pendants over the kitchen island bring a welcome handmade material to a functional space.

Pendant light perfection
(Credit: Sue Stubbs)

5. The glass pendant

A clear glass pendant light is a winning solution in the kitchen as it provides “negative space” – a decorative element without taking up space visually and allows for maximum radiance. This trio make an impact but allow the eye to travel through to the cabinetry beyond, keeping the look crisp, clean and functional.

Pendant light perfection
(Credit: Martin Polley)

6. Instead of table lamps

Where space is an issue – particularly at the bedside, small pendant lights to illuminate your bedroom for reading are a perfect solution.

Pendant light perfection
(Credit: Annette O’Brien)

7. Light pendant

Light in weight, press a simple woven pendant into service where it may be knocked or there’s a lack of overhead structural support.

Pendant light perfection
(Credit: Simon Whitbread)

8. Industrial pendant

Vintage or new, a metal pendant light brings in the lovely patina of age, especially in a newly built home.

Pendant light perfection
(Credit: Annette O’Brien)

9. New arrivals

With pendants now featuring in prominently as ceiling lights for any and every room in the house there are countless new styles, colours and materials constantly coming into market. With the addition of technology such as LED globes, traditional pendants can take on new appeal in terms of efficiency and affordability.

Pendant light perfection
(Credit: Sue Stubbs)

10. Australian style

The natural light that floods homes in Australia often calls for unique lighting requirements and in most cases a combination of floor lamps, wall lights and pendant lighting work together to create zones and offer flexibility for task and ambient lighting.

Pendant light perfection
(Credit: Brigid Arnott)

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