Dining Table Pendant Lights
Single pendants, pairs and clusters for the table.
Choosing dining table pendant lights
A pendant over a dining table does the same job as a chandelier with less ceremony, and it suits a rectangular table better. One wide pendant works up to about 48 inches of table; past that, use two or three spaced evenly along the length.
The hang height is the same as everywhere else you eat: 30 to 36 inches from the tabletop to the bottom of the shade. Centre the run on the table rather than the room, and if the ceiling point is off-centre, a cable or rod offset fixes it at installation.
Hand-blown glass earns its place here. It throws light sideways as well as down, so faces across the table are lit rather than just the plates.
Dining Table Pendant Lights — common questions
How many pendants over a dining table?
One wide pendant for tables up to about 48 inches. Two for a 60 to 72 inch table, three for anything longer, spaced evenly and set in from the ends.
Pendant or chandelier over a dining table?
A chandelier suits a round or square table and a formal room; a run of pendants suits a long rectangular table and reads more relaxed. Both hang at the same 30 to 36 inches above the tabletop.