This is one of the most frequently asked questions we get at About Space. Our clients often ask us how they should hang their pendants, so we thought it would be useful to run through our recommendations for hanging your lights in some of the most popular areas in the home, from the bedroom to the kitchen.

Regardless of the room, the first thing to think about is the size of your pendant. Consider your own style and how much you want the lighting to be a feature. If you’ve gone for a huge statement light, you might want to hang it a little higher so it doesn’t dominate the room. Likewise, if it’s a tiny subtle feature, you can hang it a little lower to avoid it getting lost in the space.

We hope this guide helps you hang your lights so they are a feature in your home, while remaining practical. However, it’s only a guide and we encourage you to be there while your electrician hangs the lights in your home. Always take a few steps back and check if it feels right for you and for the people who share the space. There’s no one-size-fits-all way to hang your lights but we hope this gives you some ideas! 

Above the bed 

There are many ways to hang a pendant by the bed, and it will often come down to personal preference. But be careful - hanging your light too high can look NQR, but if you hang them too low, you risk them getting in the way. 

A good rule of thumb is to use the height of your bedhead as a guide. You can choose to hang your pendants at the same level as the top of your bedhead. Or, if you have a taller style bedhead, you might consider hanging the pendant centrally or below the top of the bedhead.  

Centered: 

Below:

 

If you don’t have a bedhead, think about how high your eye level is when sitting up in bed. The pendants will look great if the bottom of them hang to around your eye level. This way, the light’s not shining directly into your eyes.

Above the kitchen bench

Pendants look great above an island bench. Maybe you prefer a linear pendant look or possibly two or three decorative pendants in a row. Whatever you choose, you want to make sure you can get the look, without them getting in the way or your all-important food preparation.  

Island benches are usually around 0.9m tall. We recommend hanging pendants about 0.7m to 0.9m from the bench top. If you prefer to measure from the floor to the bottom of the pendant, that’s about 1.6m to 1.8m off the ground.   

Above the dining table

Lights over the dining table can really help create a warm and cozy feeling at your next dinner party. Is your dining table in the same space as your island bench? If so, it could look fantastic to hang your dining pendant at the same height as the pendant over the island bench - this gives your space a consistent and balanced look. 

If your dining table is in a space of its own, don’t be afraid to hang your pendant low. Depending on your height, 1.4m to 1.7m from the floor to the pendant will look fantastic. Use your standing eye level as the guide. With your dining room lights at eye level or a little lower, you’ll ensure your lights are a beautiful feature, without getting in the way while you enjoy your meal.  

In the living room

Is your living room also your TV room? If not, the pendant in the space can hang a little lower, possibly down to a height of 1.8m from the ground.  

Pendants in the living rooms with a TV can still be a feature, but they will need to be hung a bit higher. How low they hang will depend on the height of your ceilings. Measuring from the floor up to the base of the pendant, 2m will look fantastic. This way, your lighting is high enough to be out of the way but low enough to be a beautiful feature.   

So there you have it! Our handy guide to hanging your pendant lights. About Space has an extensive range of stylish and practical contemporary pendant lights for any room in the house. And they come with custom cord lengths so you can hang them at the perfect height! Check out the range now.