What is a pendant light?
A pendant light is a suspended light that hangs downward, usually from the ceiling. As opposed to a table lamp it doesn’t sit on a surface or the floor. Here at Creative Cables Australia & New Zealand we sell ready-made pendants or you can use our electrical components to design your own.
A pendant light comprises of a few different lighting components.
- The light bulb. Quite simple the glass unit that emits the light. Choose dimmable light bulbs for mood lighting and decorative coloured glass for a custom look.
- The shade is the cover that sits over the bulb. These can have a few purposes which includes shading the bulb so there isn’t direct glare to the eye and adding a decorative element to the pendant light to fill a space in a room. A shade is not essential and instead just a bulb can be used which lends itself to the name ‘naked pendant’. With a full range of decorative bulbs sometime the bulbs itself if the design feature.
- The lamp holder is the light fitting that holds the bulb. These can be made from a range of materials including metal, timber, silicone and Bakelite. If you will be adding a shade to your pendant, please ensure that the lamp holder has shade rings to hold it in place and that the shade hole matches the fixtures on the lamp holder.
- Fabric cable. This connects the lamp holder to the electrical point at the other end of the pendant light. Measure the distance you want the pendant to hang from the ceiling and add a little extra for your electrician to use during installation. If you will be suspending your pendant from a hook or decentralized spot on the roof please ensure you add that extra meterage to your order. Cable can also be run through extension rods if you would like a more stable pendant that can’t move- sometimes suitable for breezy areas or for a vintage inspired look.
- The ceiling rose or plug. This is how your pendant light will have electricity draw into it. A ceiling rose will neaten up the hole in the roof ensuring a tidy and compete look. A plug will obviously be plugged into a power socket. In this case not all pendant lights need to be hardwired. They can simply be plug-in pendants that can run up a wall from the power socket and be hooked onto a ceiling for the drop effect.