A statement light is the one piece people notice when they walk in. Get the scale right and it anchors the room. Get it wrong and it either disappears or crowds the space.
Size it to what is underneath
- Over a dining table: a pendant roughly half to two-thirds the table's width. On a long table, use a linear pendant or two or three smaller pendants in a row.
- In a living room: add the room's length and width in metres; the total in centimetres is a good starting diameter for a central pendant.
- In a corner: a sculptural floor lamp can be the statement instead.
Hanging height
Over a table, leave 70 to 80 cm between the table top and the bottom of the shade. In walkways, keep at least 2.1 m of clearance.
Some examples
- The Dancing Pendant is a sculptural, pleated shade for a round table or stairwell.
- The Hashira Linear runs the length of a long table.
- The Normann Copenhagen Bell is a classic dome in several sizes, good over kitchen islands.
Practical points
- Hardwired pendants need a licensed electrician in Australia.
- Choose warm white light and, where you can, a dimmer.
- One statement light per zone is enough. Support it with lamps, not more pendants.
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