Knowledge Builders

how wide should a pendant light be

by Georgette Sipes Published 1 year ago Updated 1 year ago
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Add up the width and length of the room in feet to find the ideal diameter or width of a pendant to light it. To find an ideal height for a pendant, take the room's height, then multiply it by 2.5 and 3, which will give you 2 numbers. (For example, if your room has a 10-foot ceiling, you will get 25 and 30.)

What is the correct height to hang a pendant light?

What is the correct height for pendant lights to hang? As a general rule, pendants should hang 12-20 inches below an 8-foot ceiling. For each additional foot of ceiling height, add 3 inches. For example, in kitchens with a 9-foot ceiling, the pendant should hang 15-23 inches below. Just so, How do you hang a pendant in a bedroom?

What height do you hang pendant lights?

Typically, kitchen pendant lights (at their lowest point) are hung about 32 inches to 36 inches above the counter. CRITICAL you need to take the total measurement from the floor. That means to the bottom of the pendant. The ideal height is about 69 to 72 inches from the floor to the base of the pendant.

What height to hang pendant lights?

  • The bottom of the light should be about 30” from the surface of the island
  • Make sure to hang pendants over the kitchen island with equal space between each light
  • For a chandelier’s width, you want the diameter to measure between half and two-thirds of the kitchen island

How high should pendant light fixtures hang over a counter?

When it comes to lights hanging above counter tops, the pendant is there primarily as a task light, even as it adds its decorative touch to the area. A height of 30 to 36 inches above the counter is high enough that it will be out of the way for those using the counter surface, unless that person is extremely tall.

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How wide should pendant lights be over island?

We recommend subtracting 12 inches from the width measurement of your island to get an idea of how wide your pendant should be. If your island measures 40 inches wide, then a pendant that's 28 inches wide should suit the space well.

How big should pendant lights be over 8 foot island?

A basic rule of thumb is to use approximately 25% of the length of the island to find the right sized pendant. My island is 8ft or 96 inches long. I searched for a 24 inch / 2 ft diameter or square pendant.

What size pendant do I need for a 7 foot island?

A 7 foot kitchen island should have 2 large pendant lights installed. Each pendant should be approximately 15″ wide for proper scale.

Can pendant lights be too big?

Therefore, the width of the pendant light should not exceed 15 inches. In terms of the minimum width, the one thing to keep in mind is not to go too small on a large island. If you choose fixtures that are small, they will look awkward and out of place.

How many pendants do I need for a 8 foot island?

two pendant lightsFor an eight foot island, you need at least two pendant lights.

How many lights do I need for a 6 foot island?

One method you can use is simply dividing the length of the area up evenly. For example, if your island is six feet long, you could put a light every three feet for a total of two pendants, each one centered over one-half of the space.

How many pendants do I need for a 9 foot island?

To determine the number of pendants that you can fit over your kitchen island, dining room table, or bar-height counter, you divide the length of your table minus 12 inches by the diameter of your desired pendant (as long as it's under the allowable diameter) and then divide by two.

How far apart should pendants be?

The rule of thumb for spacing in between pendant lights is that you want them to be at least the same width apart as they are in diameter. So, if your pendant lights are 24-inches in diameter, then you'll want to space them 24-inches apart.

How do you pick pendant lights for a kitchen island?

In general, the longer your kitchen island and the higher your ceiling, the larger (wider and taller) your pendant can be. The shorter your island and the lower your ceiling, the smaller (narrower and shorter) your pendant should be.

How Big Should kitchen island pendants be?

Hanging An Even Number of PendantsIsland or Table Length (inches)Space Between (inches) by Number of Pendants36"12"6"48"16"8"60"20"10"72"24"12"5 more rows•Apr 29, 2021

How long should a linear light fixture be over an island?

How long should a linear suspension be over a kitchen island? You want about 6” of breathing room on either side of your linear fixture. You can also follow a ⅔ rule, selecting a linear suspension that's about ⅔ the size of your kitchen island.

How small should pendant lights be?

It's helpful to choose pendant lights with shades that are 10 inches less in diameter than the countertop's width; even when shades are small, it's important to leave adequate space ...

How to tell the width of a pendant light?

How to Determine the Width of a Pendant Light. The widest part of a pendant light is the diameter of its shade. Ball and globe-style pendant lights are widest in the middle, while cup pendant lights are widest at the opening.

How to determine pendant light size?

To determine pendant light width, add the room's dimensions, changing the designation to "inches," then choosing a pendant light at that width; so an 8-by-10-foot room features a pendant light that is 18 inches in diameter.

What is a narrower pendant light?

Narrower pendant light options include tubular and rectangular styles , and to determine which width is preferable, it's important to consider the style of the room and the decor element over which the pendant light hangs.

What Size Single Pendant Light Do You Need?

Sizing pendants and chandeliers are a similar process when it comes to identifying the proper fixture that will be proportional (not too big or too small) to the size of the room or area where the lighting will hang. You can use our how to size a chandelier guide to learn how to estimate the dimensions of an appropriately sized pendant light fixture or follow the steps below.

How far above the door should a pendant light be?

When installing a pendant above a door, either inside in a foyer or outside on a front porch, the bottom of the fixture should be at least 6 inches above the top of the door frame. This rule of thumb ensures the light fixture will not be hit by the door when it is opened and it will not hit anyone entering through the door.

How to Choose a Pendant Light for Your Home?

We have created a comprehensive list of the best types, styles, and shapes of pendant lighting available. This list includes glass pendants, lantern pendants, mini pendants, entryway pendants, and more!

How Many Pendants Over Kitchen Islands or Dining Room Tables?

The number and placement of pendants over a stationary object are best determined based on the size of the object being highlighted. It is best to use an odd number of pendants over a table, countertop, desk, or end table. This technique creates a focal point and allows an even balance on each side. When hanging multiple pendants, the spacing will be determined by the diameter of the pendant.

How to determine how many pendants to hang on kitchen island?

To determine the allowable number of pendants over your desired surface, take the length of your table and minus 12 inches and then divide by any number under the maximum allowable width (as determined in the previous step) and divide by two . This number is the approximate number of pendants that you could hang over your kitchen island, ...

How to measure pendants for kitchen island?

To determine the number of pendants that you can fit over your kitchen island, dining room table, or bar-height counter, you divide the length of your table minus 12 inches by the diameter of your desired pendant ( as long as it's under the allowable diameter) and then divide by two. For example, if you have been shopping for pendants ...

What does the number on a pendant mean?

These numbers represent the range in inches of the appropriate pendant height for your ceiling height.

How high should a pendant be?

Divide that number by 12 and you’ll find your ideal pendant height – in this case 0.75m, ie approx 75cm high

How much space do pendants need?

Dining table – a series of pendants over a dining table arranged in a row creates a stand-out look. Allow a space of 71 to 91 cm from the bottom of the pendants to the top of the table surface.

How high should a pendant be in a hallway?

Entrance hall – In hallways, hang pendants at least 15cm higher than the top of your front door.

What is pendant lighting?

Pendant lights are a fantastic finishing touch to your room. Whether you want to make a statement or subtly accentuate the scheme, it’s important to get your pendant proportions right. Choose one that’s too big and it can overwhelm the space, go small and you risk it looking a bit lost.

How much clearance does a light fixture need?

Where people may be walking underneath, allow for 2.13m of clearance from the bottom of the fixture to the floor.

How big is a room that is 4.5 by 3m?

Add the length and width of the room together – so a room that’s 4.5m by 3m = 7.5m

Pendant Light Size

To help find the right pendant light size, consider the location and the purpose of the light. Pendant lights range in size from 5 inches to 43 inches wide. For pendant lights installed above a dining table or countertop, typical hanging height is approximately 24 inches to 30 inches.

Pendant Light Styles and Finishes

Style: Style is the most common characteristic when shopping for hanging lights. Pick a style you like and one that works with the rest of your décor.

Shades and Accessories

Shades: Pendant light shades come in glass, fabric and metal. Mini pendant lights sometimes come with the shade sold separately so you can mix and match. Fabric shades provide more diffused light and are nice for bedrooms. Look for a fabric shade with metal or wood panels for a stylish look.

Types of Pendant Lights

Pendant lights with shades pointing up (uplight) are designed for ambient light, and those with shades pointing down (downlight) provide task light. Use pendant lights in the bathroom, bedroom, dining room, foyer, hallway, kitchen, living room, game room or bar for ambient lighting and in the dining room, kitchen or game room for task lighting.

Lighting Collections

If you find a pendant light you like and need other lighting fixtures, check to see if it’s part of a collection. Lighting collections offer fixtures in the same style and finish for many areas of the home. For more information on lighting options, check out Lighting at a Glance.

Installation

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for step-by-step directions, safety, warning and caution information. If in doubt, consult a qualified electrician.

Light Bulbs

Don’t forget light bulbs. Things like color temperature, lumens and wattage all play a factor in your room’s quality of light. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) and compact fluorescents (CFLs) help lower energy costs. Both have a lower wattage but provide the same light output as higher wattage incandescent bulbs. LEDs are also cool to the touch.

How high should a kitchen pendant light be?

CRITICAL you need to take the total measurement from the floor. That means to the bottom of the pendant. The ideal height is about 69 to 72 inches from the floor to the base of the pendant.

How to measure pendant size?

Step 4: Test Size of Pendant Using Wrapping Paper 1 This is the truly fool proof way to test the size visually in your kitchen. Lay a cutout of the size on your actual island. 2 Now if you are renovating or building, use painter's tape to layout the island on the floor and place the cut outs to get an idea of scale. 3 I love using grid backed wrapping paper for these tests. Just mark the size of the pendant (even if it is round you can use a square to test cutout). 4 Cut out the paper to size. 5 Lay on the island or island area and look at how it fits on the width. 6 Then see how it looks on the longest side. 7 Make sure you have enough room all the way around the edges of the island. 8 TIP: Hang the pendant about 8 to 12 inches in from each end of the island, so they don't hang too close to the end.

What to consider when buying kitchen island pendants?

IMPORTANT: When shopping for kitchen island pendants always take into consideration your island size, height, and ceiling height.

Why do you need a smaller pendant in a kitchen?

If you have an enclosed kitchen, a smaller pendant may look better in the space so it doesn't consume too much visual space.

Do kitchen pendant lights get bigger?

If you haven’t noticed, kitchen pendant lights have gott en a LOT larger. Now lighting over a kitchen island is becoming a home decor statement and more than just task lighting. Now that kitchen islands and kitchen pendants have gotten larger, it is even more important to know how to choose the right diameter light.

Are you wondering how high to hang your kitchen pendant lights over your island? Or want to know how large of a light to hang over your kitchen island?

Luckily, I’ve written all about what height to hang lights but in this tutorial we will focus specifically on kitchen island pendant lights and how high to hang them off of the counter and floor.

How Far Apart Should You Hang Pendant Lights Over an Island?

First I’ll share my own little trick for figuring out how far apart to hang TWO pendant lights over an island.

How Many Pendants Should I Place Above My Kitchen Island?

I would love to give you a cut and dry works-in-all-situations answer but I’d be doing you a disservice since there are several factors that come into play.

Favorite Pendants

I searched for a LONG time before deciding on my kitchen pendants and found lots of other beautiful ones along the way. These are some of my favorites:

How Far Apart Should Pendant Lights Be Spaced?

Ideally, I like to keep my pendant lights about 4-6 inches from the edge of the countertop but you can go right up to the edge. I try not to go over because I don’t want anyone hitting the lights with their head as they walk by or stand up. I also don’t like how it looks when the pendant breaks the edge of the island.

How far apart should I hang pendant lights?

However this is a minimum rule of thumb number. If you have really high ceilings then it’s OK to hang them higher. I hang pendants at 48 inches all the time because we work in kitchens with 9-10 foot ceilings. For a standard 8 foot kitchen ceiling I’d try to keep it to the standard 30-40 inch range.

How wide should pendant lights be for a 6 foot island?

Always try to find a sense of balance. If you have a 6 foot island and want two lights, don’t choose pendants that are 36 inch wide. You’d be much better off with 2 or 3 12 inch lights that are evenly spaced.

How to hang a pendant light over a kitchen island?

Typically spacing a single pendant over a kitchen island is easy because you just hang it over the middle. Unless the island is really small or the light is gigantic you shouldn’t have an issue with it sticking out over the edge of the counter.

Why do I like island pendant spacing?

I really like this island pendant spacing because it creates more space in the middle of the pendants while still feeling even and well balanced.

Why do pendant lights get smaller?

You may be noticing that as you hang more pendant lights they tend to get smaller. This is because space starts to get tight as you add more lights. Try to stick to the basic rules. Use even spacing and keep the lights away from the edges.

How many spaces between lights?

It’s easy. The space between the lights counts as a light. So in the above example, having 64 inches to work with and 4 pendants to hang, what you have are 7 equal spaces to fill. 4 spaces will be filled with lights and 3 with nothing. Nothing being the gap between each light. Just divide the 64 inches by 7 and you get 9.14 inches.

How high should a pendant light be?

I’ve seen them so many times way too small and hung way too high. Your pendant light should be about ⅕ the height of your door. They should also be centered about 6 inches above the door.

How big should the lights be for a door?

Lights By Your Door: Your lights should be ⅓ to ¼ the size of your door and trim. If you have a grand entry way with a high ceiling you can go bigger. So, opt for ⅓ the size of your door. If you’re in a tighter area, try ¼ the size of your door. If possible mount the lights at least 6 inches from the door frame and about 66 inches from the floor.

How wide should a gooseneck light be above a garage door?

That said, the goal is to provide light across the entire garage area and should shine outwards as well as down. A typical garage door entry is about 8 feet wide. Depending on the shade above, you may need a 20 inch shade to span the area…. Or, 2 lights.

How high should garage lights be?

Lights by your garage should also be ⅓ to ¼ the height of your garage opening. These shouldn’t upstage your entryway lights but definitely make a statement of their own.

Why are lights important?

so, they should be beautiful and functional! They direct visitors where to go, keep your house safe, as well as add major curb appeal when done correctly. For some reason, most homes don’t have the correct size lights.

How big should a patio chandelier be above a table?

Patio Chandelier Above a Table: Lighting for dining is more difficult because there are so many factors involved. As a general rule, we recommend about ⅔ the width of the table. You can go as small as ½ the width of your table but definitely not any smaller. If your table is long, opt for two lights ½ width.

How high should a lamp post be?

Lights on a Driveway or Garden Lamp Post: This light should be about ¼ the height of the mounting pole or fence post. These are also usually best placed 5.5 feet to 6.5 feet from the bottom of the light fixture to the ground.

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1.The Complete Pendant Sizing Guide - Design Inspirations

Url:https://blog.lightsonline.com/guides/the-complete-pendant-sizing-guide/

4 hours ago By Anya Deason. The widest part of a pendant light is the diameter of its shade. Ball and globe-style pendant lights are widest in the middle, while cup pendant lights are widest at the opening.

2.How to Determine the Width of a Pendant Light - SFGATE

Url:https://homeguides.sfgate.com/determine-width-pendant-light-101648.html

32 hours ago Dru Pendant Light . Pendant size; Width: Add the length and width of the room together – so a room that’s 4.5m by 3m = 7.5m; Divide that number by 12 and you’ll find your ideal pendant width – in this case 0.625m, ie approx 63cm wide; Height: Measure the height of your room and multiply it by 3 – so a room that’s 3m high would = 9m

3.How to choose the right size pendant - Le Journal

Url:https://www.perchandparrow.com/le-journal/choose-right-size-pendant/

23 hours ago  · Pendant lights range in size from 5 inches to 43 inches wide. When installed above a dining table or countertop, they typically hang about 24 inches to 30 inches above the surface. Most pendant lights come with extension rods or an adjustable chain so you can alter the hanging height as needed.

4.Pendant Lighting Buying Guide l Lowe's

Url:https://www.lowes.com/n/buying-guide/pendant-lighting-buying-guide

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