Modern Light Fixtures & Lamps

How High Should a Pendant Hang Over a Dining Table?

Thirty to 36 inches from the table top to the bottom of the shade, measured with the table in place rather than from the floor. Go to 36 if the fixture is wide or the ceiling is high, and never below 28 or it blocks the sight line across the table. Add three inches for every foot of ceiling above eight feet.

What Size Pendant Do I Need?

Over a dining table, the fixture should be roughly half to two thirds the width of the table and never wider than the table itself. For a room rather than a table, add the room's length and width in feet and treat the total as inches: a 12 by 14 foot room suits a 26 inch fixture. Most people choose one size too small.

How Many Pendants Over a Kitchen Island?

Two or three, depending on length. Below 6 feet, two. Between 6 and 8 feet, two large or three small. Keep at least 30 inches between centres and 6 inches in from each end of the island, so the spacing reads as deliberate. An odd number looks better over a long island, an even number over a short one.

What Colour Temperature Should I Choose?

2700K is warm and domestic, which is what most living and dining rooms want. 3000K is slightly crisper and suits kitchens and bathrooms. Above 3500K reads as commercial in a home. The number matters less than consistency: mixing temperatures in one sight line is the most common lighting mistake and the most obvious once you notice it.

Do I Need a Dimmer?

For anything in a living or dining room, yes. A dimmer does more for a room than almost any fixture upgrade, because the same light that works at dinner is wrong at 11pm. Check the fixture is marked dimmable and that the dimmer is rated for LED loads, which are far lower than the old incandescent minimums and cause flicker when mismatched.