15 Pendant Lights to Perfect Your Overhead Lighting Scheme
Proof that suspended fixtures don’t have to be public enemy number one
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Recessed lighting can serve a functional purpose, but pendant lights allow areas like your kitchen and dining room to truly shine. Truth be told, this fixture isn’t always implemented for illumination. In most cases, it can enhance your interior design by accenting a kitchen island, dining table, or even your entryway.
In defense of overhead lighting—fixtures that set the mood, instead of harshening the vibe—we rounded up pendants that cater to a wide range of design personalities, from an ornate glass bowl with a modern appeal to a low-key dome pendant with a classic silhouette. We’ve highlighted a selection of styles that appeal to modern-minimalists, Belle Époque enthusiasts, and everyone in between—all of which hail from our editors’ favorite lighting stores.
Best Pendant Light, Overall
First developed in 1958, the PH 5 is regarded as Louis Poulsen’s most popular light fixture (though the luminary label’s other creations are no stranger to high-end homes seen in AD). The renowned Danish lighting manufacturer still sells the iconic pendant, which was carefully designed with a three-shade system for “uniform light distribution”—plus it doubles as an unconventional art piece. There are a number of monochromatic and multitoned colorways to choose from, too, like this steel blue with a subtle hint of orange that caught our eye
Design on a Budget
Look familiar? That’s because this pendant's inspiration, Noguchi’s Akaris, hang in many a home tour: this Japandi-inspired Bay Area home and this South African craft home, for example. There are a few reasons why this style of paper lighting is so popular: It goes with everything, can be found for not too much money, and adds a sense of levity and lightness to the room—whether illuminating a dining table or hanging low over a minimalist bed—while emitting a soft, warm glow.
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Fancy Farmhouse Pick
If you’ve prioritized bronze or brass finishes in your kitchen (like the Studio Panageries-designed home featured here), create more aesthetic synergy with this conical lamp from Arhaus. Chain detailing adds industrial vibes to an otherwise simple, minimalist form.
Minimalist Favorite
The average designer pendant light can cost upwards of $500, but you can pay a fraction of that with finds from Article. The online-only furniture store is one of our go-tos for high-quality wares at more palatable price points. Enter the Gemma, with back-to-back bowls in neutral tones for a Scandi-style kitchen.
A Design Icon
This midcentury Herman Miller pendant, aptly called a saucer for its elliptical shape, is prized by commerce writer Julia Harrison for its retro, Mad Men-esque appeal. Miller was inspired by Noguchi’s Japanese paper lanterns, for those of you drawing comparisons to our HAY pick above, but has implemented vertical ribbing here, creating a shape that seems to be almost expanding as it hangs. Its white shade and chrome hardware make it easily adaptable to many (if not most) design styles.
A Warm Highlight
White kitchens crying out for a splash of color meet their match with this dangling glass pendant in a parrot green or sky blue. Brass and ecru hardware maintain the warmth of the playful color throughout its construction so that every last element of your kitchen feels like a warm place to cook, create, and entertain.
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More AD-Approved Pendant Lights
Drawing inspiration from a dancer’s pleated skirt, this fanciful light fixture is made with movement in mind. Plus, the felt material derives from recycled water bottles, so you can count it as a win for your design scheme and the environment.
Modern and moody, this square pendant is part of celebrity designer and AD100 honoree Brigette Romanek’s Crate & Barrel collection. The timeless piece has a rustic burnished brass finish, and the contemporary square design is a welcome addition to a Craftsman-style kitchen.
This suspended Art Deco silk fringe lamp does not suffer fools. It’s a completely transportive piece, with a Gatsby-like East Egg influence and spirited, flapper-style fringe. Don’t have $1,500 in the bank to achieve the same Roaring ‘20s look? What about $140?
We recommend GreenRow for sourcing decor for your dream cottagecore home. One of the newest members of the Williams Sonoma brand family is for the design romantics with a proclivity for all things vintage. Another reason to fall for them? Sustainability is at the core of their initiatives, and this recycled glass pendant is made with recycled metal and mouth-blown glass.
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What keeps the industrial look of this pendant from feeling too heavy or disciplinary is its softly perforated edge—the whimsical detail that takes this brass piece from serious to sentimental. The large shade would look best over a long dairy table, in the style of Shea McGee, or hanging from exposed beams to create a wholly nostalgic look.
Ceramicist Lalese Stamps of Lolly Lolly Ceramics said she always wanted to design lighting, and her exclusive collaboration with Lulu and Georgia brought her vision to life. The Soft Petal pendant light has since become a top-rated product, and you can pre-order it now for your light and bright dining room.
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Mimicking a cocoon, this pendant from West Elm is an organic form with a series of curves looping around the frame. It won’t give you too much light, but the warm glow and statement-making design make it the ultimate aesthetic choice, particularly in a home with other freeform furniture and decor.
You’ll get both illumination and style when you nab one or even a few of these contemporary glass lights with brass finishes. Arrange them with Pottery Barn’s cylindrical and global pendants for a bespoke lighting scheme over a dining room table or kitchen island.
German designer Jannis Ellenberger was inspired by retro globes when developing this updated lighting concept. The frosted glass tones down the light emitted, and the black or polished brass finishes make it a versatile pick for practically any home.
