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Collection by Aileen Kwun

Light Pendants That Make a Statement

Beyond their apparent function, pendants don't just provide light—they can also be sculptural and define a space. Here are a few of our favorites, culled from the pages of Dwell.

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Paper lantern-style pendants are ubiquitous for a reason: They're affordable, look good in multiples, and are a simple design solution for an otherwise detailed room. The light paper shades contrast the timber and adobe mud blocks used in this Los Angeles home by and for Ghanian architect Joe Osae-Addo.
Paper lantern-style pendants are ubiquitous for a reason: They're affordable, look good in multiples, and are a simple design solution for an otherwise detailed room. The light paper shades contrast the timber and adobe mud blocks used in this Los Angeles home by and for Ghanian architect Joe Osae-Addo.
This Danish dining room is centered around the weathered wooden dining table where the family gathers for meals and conversation. Photo by: Jonas Bjerre-Polsen
This Danish dining room is centered around the weathered wooden dining table where the family gathers for meals and conversation. Photo by: Jonas Bjerre-Polsen
A dim Toronto Tudor gets an airy new look. The home’s second-story hallway, which serves as an open office and library, was suffering from a severe lack of light. Lifting up one side of the old pitched roof made room for a linear skylight, which faces south to allow in as many rays as possible, and the modification transformed the top floor into a loftlike double-height space. Inexpensive detailing then added texture and scale: Simple plywood panels attached to cold-rolled-steel frames serve as guards along the stairs.
A dim Toronto Tudor gets an airy new look. The home’s second-story hallway, which serves as an open office and library, was suffering from a severe lack of light. Lifting up one side of the old pitched roof made room for a linear skylight, which faces south to allow in as many rays as possible, and the modification transformed the top floor into a loftlike double-height space. Inexpensive detailing then added texture and scale: Simple plywood panels attached to cold-rolled-steel frames serve as guards along the stairs.
On the parlor level, the pigmented plaster walls eschew the finish of paint. A modest reveal between the ceiling plane and the walls ingeniously accommodates a concealed picture rail that runs the perimeter of the room. The 1968 painting above the sofa is by op-artist Julian Stanczak.
On the parlor level, the pigmented plaster walls eschew the finish of paint. A modest reveal between the ceiling plane and the walls ingeniously accommodates a concealed picture rail that runs the perimeter of the room. The 1968 painting above the sofa is by op-artist Julian Stanczak.
In this Portland home, design firm Made arranged individually carved white-oak planks in a geometric pattern on the ceiling that repeats itself throughout the house. Beat Light pendant lamps by Tom Dixon hang above a custom dining table, also by Made.
In this Portland home, design firm Made arranged individually carved white-oak planks in a geometric pattern on the ceiling that repeats itself throughout the house. Beat Light pendant lamps by Tom Dixon hang above a custom dining table, also by Made.