A pendant hung too high lights the ceiling and the top of your head. Hung too low, it blocks the view across the table. The right height depends on what sits underneath it, and a tape measure solves most of the problem.
Over a table
Hang the bottom of the shade about 75 cm (30 inches) above the tabletop. That keeps the light below eye level for anyone seated, so nobody looks into the bulb, and close enough that the table becomes a pool of light. For a long table, use two or three smaller pendants about 60 cm apart rather than one large one.
If the table might move one day, hang the pendant from a ceiling hook and leave a little spare cord coiled in the canopy, so you can adjust the height later without calling an electrician.
Over a bed and in a hallway
Beside a bed, a pendant can replace a bedside lamp and free up the table. Hang it 50 to 60 cm above the mattress and a little to the side, so you can read by it without it swinging into view when you sit up. In a hallway or on a landing, leave at least 210 cm (about 7 feet) under the shade so tall visitors pass comfortably.
Our pendants ship with a generous cloth cord that you shorten at the canopy, which covers most ceilings. If yours is unusually high, ask us for a longer cord when you order.
