01How low to hang it
Over a dining table, the bottom of the shade usually sits 75 to 90 cm above the tabletop. Lower than that and it blocks the view across the table, higher and the light spreads and loses its focus. Over a kitchen island, allow a little more height, around 80 to 95 cm, so it does not get in the way when you cook. Where people walk underneath, in a hallway or the middle of a living room, leave at least 2.1 metres between the floor and the bottom of the fitting. Most pendant lights come with a long cable that an electrician can shorten at the ceiling rose, so measure first and tell them the drop you want.
02Choosing the size
For a dining table, a single pendant should be roughly one third to one half the width of the table, so a 90 cm table suits a shade of 30 to 45 cm. For a room without a table, add its length and width in metres and multiply by about eight for a rough diameter in centimetres. A room of 4 by 5 metres would suit a pendant light of around 70 cm across. Rooms with high ceilings can take a larger shade, or a longer drop.
03Kitchen islands and long tables
Two or three smaller pendants usually work better than one large one over an island. Space them 60 to 80 cm apart and keep them at least 30 cm in from each end of the worktop. Three often looks more balanced than two. A long dining table can take a row of pendants or a single linear fitting. Over a round table, one pendant light centred above it is almost always the right answer.
04Shade, glare and bulbs
An open metal shade directs light down onto the table and keeps the bulb out of sight when you sit. Glass and opal shades spread light around the room but can glare if hung low, so pair them with a frosted bulb. Fabric and rattan shades give a warm, patterned glow. Warm white, around 2,700 K, is the usual choice over a table, and a dimmable LED lets the same pendant light go from homework to dinner.
05Fitting and weight
A pendant light replaces an existing ceiling point, so in most homes it is a straightforward job for a registered electrician. Heavy designs in glass, ceramic or metal may need fixing to a joist rather than the plasterboard alone. Check the weight and the ceiling rose before you order. If you only want to change the look, an easy-fit shade slips over an existing pendant flex without any wiring.
06Beyond the dining room
Hung low either side of a bed, pendants free up the bedside table completely. In a stairwell, a long drop fills the height of the space. In a bathroom, only choose a pendant light with the IP rating required for its zone.