Dining Tables

The table is where everyone gathers, so this one is worth getting right. We would suggest leaving around 850mm to 900mm between the bottom of your fitting and the surface of your table. High enough to see the faces across from you, low enough to gather the light where everyone is sitting.

A little tip: always measure from the table, never the ceiling. That number stays the same whether your ceiling is a standard 2.4m or a soaring double volume, you simply choose a longer rod or chain. It also helps to keep the fitting around 150mm narrower than your table on each side.

Kitchen Islands

The island is where most of the day happens, so you want the light falling nicely across the counter without sitting in your eyeline. Around 900mm to 1050mm between the bottom of your fitting and the surface works beautifully.

If you are hanging more than one, leave at least 150mm between the widest part of each fitting. Odd numbers tend to feel more relaxed than even ones. A single linear bar pendant is lovely too, just keep it central and within about two thirds of the island's length.

Open Spaces and Walkways

In entrance halls, passages and anywhere people move through, you want the fitting to clear the doorways and everybody's heads with room to spare. We would suggest a minimum of 2,1m from the floor to the bottom of your fitting.

It is a handy number to hold onto, because it is the same clearance our building regulations use for a passage or entrance hall. Stay with it and nobody will ever have to think about the light as they walk underneath it.

Stairwells and Double Volumes

Stairwells are the one that catches everybody out, and they are easy once you know the trick. Measure from the highest step your fitting hangs over rather than the floor below, and keep that same 2,1m of clearance above it.

In a double-volume entrance, we love placing the fitting so its centre sits at roughly first-floor level. If there is a window above your front door, centring it there looks wonderful from the driveway too.

Just one thing worth knowing: a chandelier on its own will not light a double volume, so wall lights along the staircase will help carry the space.

Bedside

Hanging pendants beside the bed frees up your bedside table beautifully. Aim for 480mm to 600mm between the bottom of the fitting and the table top.

Before your electrician marks the spot, sit on the edge of the bed and check that the shade rests just below your eye level when you are settled in with a book. It takes a moment and makes all the difference.