Foyer Pendants and Height Guidelines

Defining Pendant Lighting

• While some lighting specialists refer to pendant lighting as any lighting fixtures that hang from the ceiling, which would include a single task pendant fixture as well as an elaborate chandelier, most refer to pendant lighting as narrow light fixtures that can be hung from the ceiling either individually or in a cluster from a mounting canopy.

Different Mounting Considerations

• There are basically three mounting types of hanging pendant lights: monopoint, multipoint and monorail. The monopoint type provides a separate canopy for each fixture, allowing you to space them where you like. The multipoint type comes in several configurations, such as round, square, rectangular or simply a straight bar. The monorail offers many interesting design opportunities because it is so flexible. The monorail hangs from the ceiling and the pendants hang from the rail. These are often very stylistic or trendy, so choose wisely.

Design Ideas

• If your foyer is long and narrow, with a ceiling height between 8 and 10 feet, then pendant lighting is perfect. No matter which mount style you choose, you can hang the lights along the length of the foyer. If you choose a multimount-style pendant, add one or two wall sconces to add to the ambiance and illumination. Monorail mounts can be molded to lead down the foyer in a modern way.

Hanging Height

• While there are many pendant and mounting styles, there is one hard fast rule to follow about their hanging height. No pendant should hang less than 7 feet from the floor. You can go higher off the floor if your ceiling is lower.