What Height Will My Pendants Look Best At?Updated 2 years ago

For over countertops, generally speaking you should hang your pendant lights approximately 30-40 inches from the top of the counter to the bottom of the glass. A standard countertop is usually around 36” tall and this allows for room for you to work underneath them comfortably without them being in your field of vision as you look at people across the island.

This is a general guideline for you to use as a tool and not a restriction. If you are taller than average, a 42" gap from the countertop to the bottom of the glass shade on the pendant could be the perfect height. If you are a little on the shorter side and/or like the way a lower hanging pendant looks, or you have shorter ceilings and want to see a little extra cord, 29" from the bottom of the globe to the surface of the countertop could work well for you.

Tables and tabletops are a bit different as people will be sitting at them, so it requires a slightly different height. Generally, people won't be standing and working at tables. That is why, traditionally, pendants are hung with about a 28” - 36" gap from the bottom of the shade to the height of the tabletop.

Again, these are good guidelines, but do take a minute to sit at the table and look at someone across from you and see what height works best for your space. You may again, be taller than average and something like 38" might be appropriate so you can see the people across from you without obstructing your view, or the converse may be true and you like the look of a pendant or dining room chandelier that comes a bit closer to the 26" mark from bottom of the globe to the top of the tabletop. In the end these are just general guidelines and everyone’s space and situation will be a bit different.