Designer Lighting Guide: Popular Pendant Light Materials
When designing your indoor area, pendant lights have a vital role to play. They perform all functions from task to ambient and decorative lighting and can set the entire mood of your home. Pendant lights must perform aesthetically and practically in every way. In this blog we will discuss designer lighting and the different types of materials used in pendant lights and why quality and design are so important to the successful illumination of your space.
Designer lighting is synonymous with high quality craftsmanship and materials. These are lights that are made to last, involving a slower, handcrafted and more measured approach to production and design, with exceptional attention to detail. Designer lighting is also more adaptable to bespoke alterations, often allowing you to own an individual and unique piece of lighting art.
Glass Pendant Lights
When we think of pendant lights, we often think of glass – from individual mouth-blown handmade glass through to the classic sphere shape that we all love. In practical terms, glass is an ideal material for lighting as it naturally diffuses light in all directions – a perfect choice for areas such as kitchens and bathrooms which need to be well lit. Glass pendant lights are not all about practicality though. The use of glass can transform a space into something quite spectacular – a cluster of Italian glass pendants filling your void area can stop a person in their tracks. There is an abundance of different styles and types of glass pendant lights available, and this is where designer lighting is key. Whether you are choosing a clear or opal finish, texture and colour, a single pendant or a cluster, the quality of material is vital to ensure the pendant light not only serves its purpose to illuminate and create the ambience you desire but is beautifully crafted and durable enough to last.
For a classic and timeless look, the Orb Max Pendant Light incorporates a large opal glass sphere which emits a soft warm, diffused light throughout the room. Its large size allows it to stand alone as a feature light over a dining table or be used in a composition or cluster depending on the size of your space. We absolutely love this light for its striking simplicity and versatility.
The Sky Fall Pendant Light gives you beautiful Murano Glass combined with innovative LED technology that provides both direct and indirect light. This stunning glass diffuser with its visible vertical filaments is available in two sizes and beautiful finishes - from Rose Gold and Glossy Bronze through to Clear and Chrome - allowing for a combination of colours and tones to be used in composition for an eye-catching feature. Used individually either side of a bed it creates an equally bold statement.
Another favourite of ours is the Flume 3lt Pendant Light. Pairing reeded brass with reeded glass it creates an effortless contemporary silhouette. Flume’s sophisticated design takes inspiration from the mid-century and Art Deco eras. The Flume Collection plays with verticality and light refraction to achieve a truly elegant look and a beautiful lit effect.
Metal Pendant Lights
Metal as a material for lighting dates right back to the very beginning. The use of metal shades for traditional and industrial lighting is well documented and both replicated and reimagined for lighting today. These are lighting styles synonymous with quality, craftsmanship and durability; styles with an enduring appeal where form, function, raw materials, and finish are celebrated – a key factor in designer lighting.
The industrial look is epitomised in the large dome shade of the Galileo Pendant Light. This huge fixture lays bare the quality of its raw material with nowhere to hide. This is a bold statement piece when used in its largest format as an individual light. However, when used as a composition of smaller pendant lights, it creates an altogether more subtle aesthetic, while still displaying is expertly crafted form and finish.
Colt Triple Pendant Light is a stunning example of measured and expert craftsmanship, where time is taken to perfectly produce an exceptional piece of designer lighting. It incorporates triple machined brass grills with slotted opal diffusers that are held in line by a textured black finish spine, casting soft light to the ceiling and floor.
Etoile Pendant Light is a contemporary design using the traditional materials of brass and glass. This solid pendant is structured in natural or pre aged brass and borosilicate glass and is available in both a 9 and 10 light variation. We love its striking symmetry and evenly distributed glass and brass elements.
Ceramic Pendant Lights
Stepping away from the well-established metal and glass for your pendant light, you can explore alternative materials. Focusing on the high-quality designer lighting features of craftsmanship and raw material, ceramic offers a softer more artisanal aesthetic. Full of character, a ceramic pendant light brings something quite different to your indoor space – a more arts and crafts feel, without sacrificing quality of design.
The Fiori di Pizzo is a classic example of high-quality designer lighting. Like a skilfully perforated piece of embroidery, it marks a traditional simplicity revisited in a modern key. This beautifully delicate and refined interior pendant light projects flowers and decorations from its ceramic shade. The brass fixture brings an element of solidity to its structure while the white fabric cord maintains the traditional farmhouse feel.
The Bell Copo Pendant Light is a much more contemporary style of pendant light. It features a marble ornament which sits above the ceramic dome shade, the combination of which results in a minimal and clean aesthetic. The subtle colour combinations make it an extremely desirable and versatile fixture.
Fabric Pendant Lights
The use of fabric for lighting is well established. A material that may not be as durable as metal, glass, or ceramic, it does however bring a different element to the room. The appeal of fabric is the soft, diffusion of the light source. It performs a vital function by bringing a warm, cosy, and relaxing ambience to any interior space – ideal for bedrooms and living areas. One of our favourite examples is the Ali E Baba Linen Pendant Light. A contemporary design, the linen shade beautifully softens the light and creates a sleek defined silhouette in opposition to the detailed ceramic fixture.
Wood Pendant Lights
A timber pendant light is the ultimate way to bring a little bit of nature inside. Wood as a material is organic and durable, creating an ambience of warmth and welcome. Timber is a material that is often used in Scandinavian design, a style heavily influenced not only by nature but also quality and function. All these elements combine to produce cleverly designed, practical yet beautiful pendant lights.
The Diva Pendant Light is a perfect example of designer lighting where quality raw materials are key. It has a distinctive, spiralling shade that creates a sculptural shape made to be appreciated from several vantage points. Diva is made from 32 strips of laminated plywood and showcases the sophisticated techniques required to craft such an expressive shape.
Utilising the texture and natural finish of wood can bring extra depth to your interiors which is why you will often see timber elements incorporated into pendant lights. The Acorn Pendant Light is a minimally styled fixture with a shaped metal shade and walnut or beech wooden accent – a perfect addition to any Scandinavian themed modern interior space.
Marble Pendant Lights
The addition of marble as an accent or part of the composition of a pendant instantly brings a sense of luxury to your lighting fixture. Marble is a material that has undoubted longevity and robustness and is used in designer lighting for not only its luxurious overtones, but also as a fantastic contrast to glass or a metal such as brass.
The Dalt 6 Lt Pendant Light combines all three of these contrasting materials to perfection. This is a minimalistic indoor light fixture made with steel, marble, and opal glass. Each spheric lampshade is topped by an equally sized marble sphere for an additional decorative component.
Bonton Marbles Pendant Light is another exceptional example where a marble accent is featured above a pearl grey or pink shaded glass sphere. The additional detail of the brass ribbon is reminiscent of an elegant earring. Simply beautiful.
Stone Pendant Lights
Alabaster stone is often used as a shade material for pendant lights. This decorative stone has historically been used to create works of art as its soft structure makes it ideal for carving and therefore provides an excellent raw material for use in designer lighting. The translucent white of the alabaster not only creates a beautifully marbled textured surface but emits a soft, warm and diffused light.
The Erto 5lt Pendant Light incorporates five attractive discs of alabaster with brass details, positioned above a black metal structure to create an elegant eye-catching indoor light fixture which is sure to become a feature piece in any contemporary indoor pace.
To summarise, pendant lights not only serve a functional purpose but can bring sculptural, textural, and designer elements to your home, while at the same time creating the ambience you desire. With designer lighting comes the quality of raw materials, craftsmanship and durability so integral to well a considered space. With all these key factors in mind, you can confidently select your perfect pendant lights and turn your home into a beautifully lit and welcoming haven for friends and family to share.