Industrial Pendant Lights

The industrial pendant, in short

An industrial pendant takes its shape from workshop and warehouse lighting: a spun metal shade, a cage guard, a simple cord or rod, and a finish that does not pretend to be anything else. Known in the US as a hanging light, it is the most direct way to bring the style into a kitchen or dining room, because the fitting sits at eye level and does the visual work on its own.

Shade shapes and what they do

A wide dome or bell throws a broad pool of light and suits a dining table, where you want the whole surface lit. A narrow cone concentrates the beam and works over a counter or a single seat at a breakfast bar. An open cage gives very little shade control and is chosen for the shadow pattern rather than the light, so pair it with other sources in the room.

Hanging height and spacing

Over a dining table, hang the base of the shade 700 to 900mm above the surface so it lights the table without blocking sightlines across it. Over a kitchen island the same range works, and a row of two or three spaced 600 to 800mm apart covers a standard island. Set the outer pendants in from the ends rather than flush with them, so the row reads as centred on the island rather than stretched across it. Most of our pendants have an adjustable cable or rod, so the drop is set when the electrician fits it, but check the stated maximum drop against a tall ceiling before ordering.

Single, cluster or linear bar

A single pendant suits a small table or a corner. A cluster hangs several shades from one ceiling plate at staggered heights and reads as one piece. A linear bar carries several lamps along a horizontal frame from two fixing points, which is the usual answer for a long island or a refectory table, and it needs only one ceiling outlet rather than the three a row of separate pendants would need. That last point decides more kitchen projects than taste does, because adding two ceiling outlets means lifting a floor or cutting a ceiling.

Bulbs and the character of the light

Most industrial pendants take a replaceable bulb. A filament LED in warm white suits the aged metals and is the choice when the bulb is visible through a cage. Behind a solid shade the bulb is hidden, so pick on output rather than looks: 6 to 10W of LED gives enough light for a dining table without glare. Check the maximum wattage printed on the fitting.

Cord, chain and rod suspension

How a pendant hangs changes what it can do. A fabric-braided cord is the most adjustable, usually shortened at the ceiling rose on installation, and it moves slightly in a draught. A chain carries more weight and suits heavier metal shades, with the flex woven through it. A rigid rod holds the shade at a fixed angle and is the only option that works properly on a sloped ceiling or where the fitting must not swing, such as over a stairwell or in a hallway people pass through.

Ceilings, weight and fixing

A metal shade is heavier than a fabric one, and a cluster or bar is heavier again. Check the weight on the product page against your ceiling: plasterboard alone needs a fixing rated for the load, and a joist or a timber batten above the board is better. Sloped ceilings need a fitting whose canopy can angle, so check the description before ordering. If the pendant is going where an old ceiling rose already sits, the existing fixing was rated for whatever hung there before, which on a plastic rose may be very little.