Hallway Pendant Lights

Hallway pendant lights ask for a smaller diameter and a shorter drop than pendants anywhere else in the house. A corridor gives you no room to step around a fixture, so those measurements outrank the shade design. An adjustable cord helps, since ceiling heights vary from one hall to the next.

How to choose hallway pendant lights

Start with the clearance you have. Subtract seven feet from the ceiling height and the remainder is the drop available, canopy included. Most halls run eight feet, which leaves roughly a foot, so look for a fixture quoted at a maximum drop of twelve inches or one with a cord you can shorten on site.

Diameter follows the width of the corridor. Under about ten inches across, a pendant stays out of the way in a three foot hall and repeats cleanly down a long run. A single wider shade suits a square landing or a point where the hall opens out. Solid shades read heavier overhead than open frames, and in a tight space that extra weight is felt from directly underneath.

Spacing a run of hallway pendant lights

Repetition is what makes a corridor look designed. Set the fixtures on the centerline at even intervals of six to eight feet, and start roughly three feet in from each end wall so the run does not crowd a doorway. Where the hall passes a stair or a turn, keep each fixture clear of the swing of every door. Three at equal spacing reads better than two placed to suit the joists, so plan the positions first and let the wiring follow.

How low can a pendant hang in a corridor?

Hold the bottom of the shade at seven feet from the floor, and add a couple of inches if anyone in the house is tall. That figure is about walking clearance rather than light output, and it applies to the lowest point of the fixture, not to the canopy.

One large fixture or several small ones?

Several small ones in a hall longer than about twelve feet. A single piece at the midpoint leaves both ends in shadow and draws attention to itself. In a short entry hall under eight feet, one centered fixture is enough and keeps the ceiling uncluttered.

Related pages: Kitchen Island Pendant Lights, Living Room Pendant Lights, Office Pendant Lights and Hallway Wall Sconces. The full category is Pendant Lights.