Need help in buying the right light for your home? Can’t decide what type of lighting fixture to install? Let’s breakdown two popular lighting fixtures in the market – ceiling and pendant lamps. 

Ceiling Lamps

Choosing the right ceiling lamp is very vital in lighting up your home. When gotten right, it will not only illuminate your home, but it can also elevate the design and bring it to another level. There are different points to take note of for you to be able to choose the right ceiling lamp. 

Ceiling Lamp Types

There are various ceiling lamp types that you can choose from but the most common are ceiling mounted lamps and hanging lamps. Ceiling surface mounted lamps are the more simple ones usually classy and subtle. These are more ideal for homes with standard ceiling heights. 

Check this out here: BEATRICE Windmill Ceiling Lamp 

Hanging lamps or ceiling pendants on the other hand often times come with chain, cable, or suspension rods that can be adjusted to the desired height. It brings versatility for homes with higher floor to ceiling clearances. 

Get this look: Egilja Bubble Pop Hanging Lamp 

Ceiling Lamp Diameter

The right size of ceiling lamp is often dictated by the size of the room you are planning to install it on. First things first, get the length and width of your room. The rule of thumb is to add the length and width of the room. Get both dimensions in feet. The sum of the two should be the maximum diameter (if round) or width (if square) of the ceiling lamp, listed in inches. To put it simply, see the formula below:

Length (ft) + Width (ft) = Maximum Diameter of Ceiling Lamp (inches)

For example, say your room of interest measures 15 feet in length and 12 feet in width. Adding up the two will give us a sum of 27 which we will consider in inches, hence 27 inches. This means that the maximum allowable diameter of ceiling lamp for the said room is 27 inches. If the fixture of choice is not circular, 27 inches will be the maximum allowable width. 

Shop this here: RAYNER Roundly Inclined Lamp 

Ceiling Lamp Height 

Besides the width or diameter, the height of ceiling lamps can also be prepared for. Again, before buying, it is important for you to have complete details of your room of interest. Get all necessary dimensions of the said room. This time around, we will be needing the room height in feet. To get the minimum height of ceiling light, multiply the room height by a factor of 2.5. Get this product and list it down as inches instead of feet. To get the maximum height, multiply the room height by a factor of 3.0 Again, get this product and list it down as inches. 

For example, if the room height is 8 feet, multiply it by factors of 2.5 and 3.0 you will get 20 inches and 24 inches. This means that you may get a ceiling lamp with a height between 20 inches and 24 inches for your room. 

Image Credit: Renonation, ECasa Studio 

Ceiling Lamp Placement

Ceiling lamps can be placed in any room of your home. Surface mounted ceiling lamps are more appropriate for bed rooms, toilets and the kitchen. Hanging lamps on the other hand are highly recommended to be installed on the living room, dining room, and stair landing. 

Shop this here: Rihani Branches Hanging Lamp 

For Your HDB

Installing the right lighting for your HDB flat can improve its overall appearance big time. Usual HDBs have an open concept between the living room and dining room. Both rooms for these particular set-up can then be installed with two separate ceiling lamps. Either a hanging lamp or a surface mounted ceiling light will do. More importantly, make sure that both lighting fixtures are similar in design and both are in line with your interior design theme for consistency.

If you’re going for a more minimalist design, you can install a ceiling lamp on the living room and a recessed light on the dining room for simplicity.

Image Credit: The Smart Local, AGCDesign

Pendant Lamps

Pendant light is usually a single lighting fixture that hangs from the ceiling usually through a cord, a wire, or a suspended rod. It is almost the same as a hanging ceiling lamp but it can be differentiated by the number of light sources available. Often times, pendant lamps only have a maximum of three light sources. 

Image Credit: Renonation, Collate 

Choosing the Right Pendant

The best way to start your hunt for the right pendant lamp is by ultimately deciding on the theme and décor of your room. With the theme always in mind, decide next on the size, shape and design of your pendant light. 

Types of Pendant Lights

The best thing about pendant lights is that there are so many choices available in the market. Somehow, it also makes it challenging. The most common types of pendant lights that you can choose from are the following: 

Glass Pendant Lights

Get this look: Wataru Modern Glass Pendant Lamp 

Drum Shade Pendants 

See this here: Sindora Slim Drum Pendant Lamp 

Multi-Light Pendants

Shop this look: Kinsor Wood Cement Perfect Combi Pendant Lamp 

Globe Pendants

Check this out here: Ferulni Glass Round Globe Pendant Lamp 

Lantern Pendants 

Get this here: Rinjano Firefly Pendant Lamp

Pendant Light Materials 

Depending on the type, pendant lights are made differently using various raw materials. If you have a certain material finish in mind, you can buy according to that requirement. But ideally, pendant lights made of metal, concrete, brass, or fabric are suggested. Again, make sure you are consistent with your theme. 

Image Credit: Renonation, In-Expat 

Pendant Light Functions 

What’s the purpose of your pendant light? While we all agree that pendant lamps are aesthetically pleasing and really does it job well in enhancing a room, we should always keep in mind that lighting should first serve a function and an ultimate purpose. Is it for overhead lighting of your dining room? Is it for your favorite reading spot in your living room? Or is it simply to emphasize certain objects or features? It should be well defined for you to be able to choose the perfect pendant light for your home. 

Image Credit: Renopedia, Designer Furnishings Pte Ltd

To know more about pendant lamps and layered lighting, read here.

Pendant Lights Placement

Once you have finally chosen the right pendant lamp for your room, you may now install it. You can install it yourself or hire a professional to do it for you. For the right height of pendant lamps, here are some general rules you may follow. 

Just like with ceiling lamps, it is again important to know the details of your room. Generally speaking, pendant lamps can be installed 30 centimeters to 50 centimeters from the ceiling for rooms with a 2.4 meter floor to ceiling clearance. 

Image Credit: Renonation, Mr Shopper Studio

If pendant lamps are to be placed on the dining room or kitchen above a table or a nook, the general rule is a height of 80 centimeters above the counter. For horizontal placement, ensure that the lighting is 20 to 30cm from the edges of the table. For bedroom use, install pendant lamps 2.1 meters above the floor if it is for main lighting. For bed side table, it should be installed 50cm above the said table. 

Image Credit: Renonation, Para.graph

For your HDBs

Pendant lamps are highly recommended for your HDB flat. Install pendant lamps if you have a kitchen counter. Make sure to follow the recommended height and clearances as mentioned above. To spice it up, add under cabinet lights to your kitchen cabinet and some recessed lighting within the perimeter of your kitchen for safety, functionality, and design.

Image Credit: Renonation, Salt Studio

You may also install pendant lamps on your HDB flat’s bedroom and toilet. For your bedroom, you can use it as bedside lamp. If you happen to have bedside tables on both side of your bed, this concept will even be better as it will provide symmetry. This will also be nice regardless if lit or not. The design itself will already elevate the design of your room.

For your toilet, a pendant lamp on one side of the mirror could do the trick. Again, just ensure that the finish of the pendant lamp fits your room and it will end up nicely.

Image Credit: Qanvast, Fifth Avenue Interior

You may also combine ceiling lamps and pendant lamps in open concept living-dining rooms. Ceiling lamps like a ceiling fan for the living room and pendant lamps for the dining room should do the trick. Yet again, please make sure that the color or finish of your lighting fixtures are almost similar or at least consistent with your home. Check out this photo and see why consistency between your fixtures and design is very important.

Image Credit: Qanvast, Fifth Avenue Interior

Now that you have gathered more information on ceiling and pendant lamps, you may now decide on what particular type you should buy. Shop the pendant light and ceiling light you always desired with our wide range of lightings collection today!