Pendant & Chandelier Lighting

Characteristics

• Both chandeliers and pendant lights are suspended from the ceiling, and modern and traditional versions of each can be equally at home in a foyer or dining room. Chandeliers tend to have multiple arms, each with a light of its own that contributes to the glow these lighting systems give off. Minishades that cover each bulb, crystals and ropes of beads and other embellishments all lend a large dose of glamor to these sometimes over-the-top lights. Pendant lights tend to be a bit more linear. Each pendant has one bulb, which directs light downward, making it an excellent accent light. Pendant lights are typically made of polished or brushed metals and are usually a more modern lighting choice, as compared to chandeliers. Depending on the size and scale of a room, the choice of a pendant or chandelier is sometimes interchangeable. More modest, diminutive chandeliers can blend in beautifully in a modern home, while a chic pendant can add a hit of drama to a reading corner in a masculine den.

Classic Chandeliers and Pendants

• Master glass blowers from Venice, Italy have been crafting the celebrated Murano chandelier for hundreds of years. Impossibly ornate scrolls, delicate leaves and vibrantly colored flowers are elements of the quintessentially traditional Murano chandelier. Schonbek pendants bedecked with Austrian Swarovski crystals easily challenge the elegance of blown glass chandeliers. The 27-pound Versailles rock crystal pendant is crowned with dozens of diamond-like crystals. Chandeliers made of wrought iron are more rustic in style, and blown-glass or craftsman-style pendants blend seamlessly in a traditional home.

Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

• The words modern and chandelier may seem to be an oxymoron, but when you think of Germany instead of Italy, a more austere fixture comes to mind. Industrial designer Ingo Maurer's clever take on a uber-modern chandelier trades glass globes for pieces paper. And when it comes to designing modern lighting, British designer Tom Dixon is the rock star of chic and sleek pendant, with collections of compact danglers made from materials such as glass and mirror-polished copper.

Design Ideas

• When it comes to adding that wow factor to a home, chandeliers easily edge out pendants. Creating a grand entrance? An elegant chandelier sets the scene in the foyer. Want a bit of drama in the dining room? Center a sparkler above the table and dial down the dimmer switch. Pendants can add drama and excitement to a home, too. Space a trio of brushed-nickle or chrome pendants above a kitchen island, and create a moody bar atmosphere. Create a cluster effect by grouping three to five small glass orb pendants in the powder room. And position them so they can be seen from the hallway, too. Use a small single pendant to highlight a sculpture or other objet d'art.