Pendant Lighting Overview

A pendant light catches the eye in a way that recessed lighting or standard ceiling fixtures simply can't match. Yet pendants seldom take center stage; they're the character actors of a home's lighting scheme. Pendant lights are usually placed in rooms that require secondary lighting of some kind, whether it's for performing a specific task or just creating a dramatic effect by enriching a room's color or artistically delineating its space.

Kitchen lighting is the standard example of how pendants can rejuvenate a room's look by performing a useful function in a stylish way - such as a gorgeous Victorian pendant light that brightens a kitchen island. Pendant lights can also be used to illuminate dining room tables, game or reading areas, home bars, aquariums, or display cabinets.

The creation of a particular mood is something at which pendant lights excel. Downlight pendant lighting could foster an atmosphere of quietness and seclusion in a den or study. An inverted pendant light with a dimmer would provide glare-free ambient light in a bedroom or living room. Outdoor pendant lights are perfect for porches and patios, creating the kind of warm lighting that one associates with summer nights spent in a glider or comfy Adirondack chair.