Pendant lighting, as its name suggests, is a kind of lighting fixture that hangs from a length of cord suspended from the ceiling, and drops downward the way pendants do on necklaces. These are very versatile light fixtures and can be used for almost any situation, whether as a simple provider of ambient light or as a decorative element in a large room. The focused illumination that a pendant light bulb provides is best suited for task lighting, and this is why this kind of lighting is common in kitchens or even offices. However, pendant lights can also be outfitted with stylish covers, and thus serve as an interesting accent piece to complement the style of a room.
There are many places in your home that can greatly benefit from the versatility and functionality of the pendant light, and you might not even have pendant lighting installed in these areas. For instance, do you have a pendant light that is situated specifically above the sink in your kitchen? A lot of people tend to simply install a large hanging light in the middle of a spacious kitchen, and while this may be good enough to provide ambient light, it may not be enough for task lighting.
The sink is one of the busiest places in the kitchen, and a little extra light would be helpful especially when it comes to cleaning foodstuffs prior to cooking, or for washing dishes once you are done eating. Another busy place in the kitchen that can really benefit from the focused illumination of a pendant light is the kitchen island where chopping or food preparation is commonly done.
Besides the sink and island in the kitchen, you can also place pendant lighting above the sink in your bathroom. Again, this is a very busy place where lighting is truly needed. This extra light can come in handy when putting on makeup or perhaps shaving beards; shadows from lighting can often lead to makeup and grooming mistakes — and you don’t want to go out of the house with too much makeup on or patches of unshaved stubble, do you? Better lighting can also reduce the chances for mishaps in this accident-prone room, such as stepping on slippery material.
Lastly, pendant lighting can be used as a substitute for chandeliers in living rooms. While sparkling chandeliers made of crystal are still preferred by most homeowners, a lot of decorators are now making creative lighting fixtures using pendant lights. In a really tall room, for instance, a set of pendant lights hung at various heights from the ceiling can make for stylish alternatives to cascading crystal chandeliers.
