Pendants are the most common lighting mistake in a finished room, because the height that looks right on a plan almost never looks right in the space. Here are the working numbers, and one technique that avoids the mistake entirely.

Heights by use

• Kitchen island: 30–36 in (76–91 cm) above the countertop, and leave 24–30 in (61–76 cm) between pendants.
• Dining table: 30–36 in above the tabletop, centred on the table rather than the room.
• Bedside: 24–30 in (61–76 cm) above the nightstand, so the shade sits just above eye level when you are sitting up.
• Entryway or hallway: at least 7 ft (2.1 m) from the floor.
• Over a stairwell: measure from the highest tread it passes, not from the floor below.

Hang it once before you drill

Cut a piece of string to the intended drop, fix it temporarily to the ceiling with tape or a single hook, and hang a paper template of the shade at that height. Stand in the room, sit at the table, and walk under it. Moving a paper template costs nothing; moving a ceiling rose means patching and repainting.

Getting the drop right

Most pendants ship with a cable or rod you shorten on site. Leave a little extra the first time and trim it only once the height is confirmed, and check that the fixture hangs plumb — a sloped ceiling will need an angled canopy or a longer cable on one side to compensate.

Switches and dimming

Pendants on their own switch are far more useful than pendants grouped with the rest of the room. If the fixture uses dimmable lamps, confirm both the lamp and the dimmer are rated for it; a trailing-edge dimmer paired with a non-dimmable LED is the usual cause of flicker at low levels.