The bright stuff: A guide to picking the best hanging lights
The biggest mistake people make is that they buy a light pendant impulsively.
We get asked to help with light pendants often. The styles, the materiality, and the function are all aspects that have a broad spectrum of options to choose from.
What’s worse is you might like something, your other half doesn’t and then you get all confused and never make a decision. Sound familiar?
First we like to start with style. Unfortunately, the biggest mistake is that people buy a pendant impulsively because they like it which often is based on trend . . . not because it’s the right pendant for the context.
The number one thing is to identify what the style of your home and the rest of the decor is and stick to that. Is it modern, Scandinavian, eclectic, industrial? With many more styles to choose from, it’s fortunate that we have an oversaturated market of lighting suppliers in New Zealand so you are bound to find the right one, it will just come down to if it’s in stock now!
If your style is Scandinavian, perhaps look for a fitting with a wooden trim and structured frame. If your home is rustic I would lean towards metal frames perhaps wooden accents if you haven’t got too much wood in your home. (Sometimes I find the perfect pendant but the wood is wrong so I re-stain it myself).
The birdcage look also works well in this style but be aware that it will throw shadow lines. The glass bulbs pendant look, available in lots of colours and moulds, is helpful because there isn’t a shade on them so distributes light evenly, although the lumen volume seems to be quite low.
These would be suitable for eclectic, modern or contemporary-styled homes.
The new trend evolved from this style is opaque round glass bulbs instead of clear.
The bonus with this is that you can’t see the dust on the clear bulbs that everyone forgets to wipe down regularly!
These look great in a contemporary or eclectic home surrounded by strong pieces of art. On the function side, a great interior has varied ambience effects for different spaces. Your pendant lighting in your entrance or dining may be a bit more softer than the one over your kitchen island.
In our practice we don’t tend to go for a pendant with a shade over an island as you end up with distinct circles on the bench top and not a huge amount of distribution.
The long linear LED rail lights are my go to at the moment and seem to suit most styles as a classic.
Remembering feature lighting doesn’t always have to mean feature pendant! There is nothing wrong with more of a sleek understated pendant that replicates the lines and architecture of your home.
But if you want to go for something a little bit off the beaten track, don’t be afraid to. Pendants are a cost effective way to change the look of a space in an instant!