Pendant Light Pictures

Pendant lights are for a room what dangling earrings are for the ear lobe - they jazz it up and make a statement. The term refers to any light fixture that hangs from a cord, chain, cable or rod where the bulbs are oriented downwards, unlike a chandelier whose bulbs point up. They tend to be smaller and sleeker than chandeliers as well, coming in a wide array of artfully-designed forms that add a bit of architectural excitement to a space.

This design gives a sense of the classic use of pendants. They are both a focal point in the room and sometimes, as they are here, help to make an informal division between two parts of an open floor plan.

Hand blown glass pendants are some of the most stunning options available. This colorful mosaic pendant would be perfect as a trio over a dining room table.

Here is another high quality glass rendition with a brushed nickel finish that makes the metal parts feel soft and smooth. It comes with an LED fixture that uses a fraction of the energy compared to old-fashioned incandescent bulbs, while giving the same amount of light.

For a formal living room with high ceilings, this long pendant might be just the right fit. Its early American style works well with historic homes, which quite often have ceilings much taller than the current standard of 8 feet.

Always try to match your lighting design with the style of your home. If you live in a 1920s art and crafts bungalow, for example, this art glass mini pendant with beautiful pink roses would be perfect.

Highly decorated pendants like this one are best as a single specimen rather than in groups.

For something more modern, here is a solid maple pendant with a 6-foot wire that would work well for a contemporary loft apartment or a sleek modernist home with interior wood walls. It is an LED model, making it suitable for the energy efficient homes being built today.

This is an example of an adjustable height pendant, which is quite handy and something that is not as common as it should be. The neo-classic style would fit a wide range of interior environments, but the opaque glass look is often used in home offices.

Pendants are often used in trios (rarely as a pair or foursome) to illuminate a long table or countertop. So they are often sold this way rather than singly, as is the case with this stylish mirror glass and chrome finish model. It's easy imagine these three hanging over a home bar.

An ultra modern pendant like this one could break the rules of hanging pendant lights in orderly bunches, perhaps inspiring you to scatter a few at different heights spread out above a large living space. The futuristic polished chrome look fits with its LED fixture, which is fast becoming the bulb of choice for the future of lighting.

In a nod to the possibilities of pendants in interior design, this image shows how color, height and spacing can all be varied to create a certain effect. Even if you don't have a grand ballroom in your house, you can still have fun with multi-dimensional pendant lighting layouts.

Because they typically dangle close to head height, pendants are primarily used over a table or counter, where no one will be bumping their head. In fact, if you don't have high ceilings, that's really the only place that pendants can be used.

Pendant lighting works best in open, spacious environments and are most effective if used sparingly. If you're looking to go beyond typical ceiling mounted fixtures and track lighting, they provide a whole new domain of interior design to explore.