A topic we often get questions on is pendants that hang over tables. How big? How high? How many? With such a huge range of pendants on the market these are very good questions to ask. Starting with these will help you whittle down the available options - definitely a good thing given how many pendants there are on the market from great brands.

We caught up with our Lighting Designer, Tabatha, to get her thoughts. Tabatha has a wealth of experience - you can see a sample of her design projects here. She’s amazing at what she does so you’re in safe hands if you do need some extra advice after reading this blog.

The pendant you’re looking for might be an everyday pendant for over a kitchen-diner table, or a statement piece for a dining table that is only used for special occasions. These principles apply to all table pendants.

 

How big should a pendant be relative to a table? E.g. is it possible to define that it should be a maximum of ⅔ the width or does it depend on the style?

It’s an interesting question looking at it from that perspective!

The most common table shapes in Australia and New Zealand are round and rectangular, typically designed to seat 4, 6, or 8 people. Rectangular tables for 10 seats are also fairly common, though usually in larger homes. I’d break the question down by the shape.

Round tables

Round tables are commonly used for up to 6 seats; beyond that, layouts typically shift to a rectangular shape. For the 4s and 6s: 

  • 4-Seater: 100-120 cm. Pendant 45-50cm diameter - something like the Koora

  • 6-Seater: 150 cm. Pendant 50-60cm diameter - around the size of the Arca or Hikari

Rectangular tables

The total visual width of the pendant should be around one-half to two-thirds of the table width. Some typical sizes would be:

  • 4-Seater: 120-150 cm long (90 cm wide). Pendant 45-50cm diameter

  • 6-Seater: 160-180 cm long (90-100 cm wide). Pendant 50-60cm diameter

  • 8-Seater: 200-220 cm long (90-110 cm wide). Pendant 60-75cm diameter

  • 10-Seater: 240-260 cm long. Best 2 pendants, each one 45-60cm diameter

For tables seating 10 or more, it’s generally better to use two pendants or a group of pendants in a “linear” layout rather than a single light. Typically, two pendants up to 60 cm in diameter work well (especially if the table is over 90 cm wide), or alternatively three pendants in a row, each around 45–50 cm. 

Torben Linear LED Pendant Light 2400mm in Black_Mockup

What’s the minimum distance you should have between the pendant and the table?

You can find specific calculators to determine the exact pendant height based on table and user height and gender, but they can be unnecessarily complex. A practical approach is to follow the recommended minimum distance of 60-75 cm above the table. This will suit most households and is what I follow as a general rule.

In some cases, I increase this to 75-85cm above the table to maintain clear sight lines, this is often the case for taller customers or in spaces with higher ceilings.

 

What are popular styles of pendants?

For neutral decor, scandi pendants are very popular. For something more modern LED strip or bar pendants are always a popular choice, but these are best for rectangular tables, rather than circular. Below is a gallery of some different pendants in situ to give you some inspiration. We hope it helps!

 

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If you need more advice, or want to ask a specific question about your space, please get in touch on design@thelightingoutlet.com.au.