Charlie Holland
While most hallways don’t have the ceiling height to accommodate pendants, I have used them to light long halls in the past. Pendants are used increasingly in place of a chandelier and often give greater flexibility in terms of design and layout. Mini pendants are a great option if you want something hanging over a bar or kitchen island, for example, but still want to maintain a clean line of sight. I’ve also used them on multi-level stairways suspended at various heights to fill the space vertically.
By using either a multi-port canopy or a monorail system with a surface mount transformer you can arrange multiple low voltage pendants while using just one power source. There are round, square, rectangular, and linear multiport canopies ranging from 2 to 24 lights, allowing you to create the best configuration to fit your space.
The type of pendants you select to go over the kitchen island or above a sink area are very much a matter of personal preference. First, there’s going to be water flying around above a sink, so make sure that the electrical elements of your pendant are protected. They are typically mounted over a countertop or table at a height appropriate for lighting those surfaces, which is often at or slightly above eye level for most people when standing. You can avoid glare first by using opaque finishes that minimize light shining out the sides of the pendant. Pendants should fit with the style of the home but are an opportunity for you to express your unique personality. If you have 3000k LEDs and 2700k incandescent lights in the same area it can make the room feel visually uncomfortable.
Whenever you hang pendants over countertops, tables, bar tops, and other work spaces, they should be between 30”-36” above the surface. To prevent this, opt for a more diffuse light source and/or lower the pendant height. Low Voltage pendants can be shortened and then attached to the transformer or free jack connector in the canopy.
