Pendant Light Love

Of late I've had a sudden affinity toward light fixtures.  I'm not certain if it's because we have boring builder-grade lights throughout our house and recently took a jump off the (crazy!) deep end and installed a new light fixture in the dining room (a future post...), or if I'm drawn to light fixtures because we live in Portland and lighting is a true luxury with our constantly clouded skies.  Either way, I'm on a lighting kick and have found some fabulous pendant lights to share with you!

The functional beauty of the pendant light is that it can be utilized in so many different spaces.  You can hang them in an entry or hallway, over a kitchen island/peninsula, the kitchen sink, a dining table, a bathroom vanity, a bedside table...or for even more drama hang multiple pendants in a cluster over a dining table or a bed as the focal point in a bedroom.  Also, the pendant light is typically a much more affordable option than chandeliers and most flush or semi-flush mount ceiling fixtures.  Have I won you over yet?  If not, feast with your eyes and then decide.  (There are some cool options for recessed light transformations at the bottom of the post...)

The West Elm Small Wire Pendant ($99) adds an eclectic industrial vibe to any space.  Quite large for being "small" it's 16 inches in diameter, so it's plenty large to put above a dining table.  It also comes in a cool white.

The Ikea Ottava Pendant Lamp ($30) is a great price and would look amazing in a pair or trio hanging over a kitchen island or peninsula.  It has a hip old-school kitchen/nautical vibe, but remains a classic shape that won't go out of style.

The Schoolhouse Electric Harding Pendant ($165) is a clean-lined pendant that goes with any decor style.  It looks great with an Edison bulb for some added character.

I'm loving the shamrock green color of this Shades of Light Loft Shade Pendant ($69).  It also comes in 5 other colors - red, white, black, nickel, and bronze.  Let this be the color focal point of an other-wise neutral space.

This Schoolhouse Electric Azusa Pendant ($99) has an refined industrial look with it's conical glass shade (sold separately) and hardware-looking galvanized canopy and rod.

To add a little lipstick red to your life, take a step on the wild side with this Ikea Vaster Pendant Lamp ($90) with built-in long-life LED bulb.  With a 16" diameter, it's a substantial fixture that would look really cool in a reading nook or as a focal point in a bathroom.

A beautiful shape, the Shades of Light Quatrefoil Pendant ($119) would be the perfect pick-me-up touch of light in an entry-way, a hallway, or laundry room.  It's rust-colored patina melds well with any other metal finishes you may have in your home.  Don't feel like all hardware needs to be the same metal - a mix of metals makes any space look more collected and eclectically refined.

The mouth-blown glass Addie Pendant from Home Decorator's Collection ($129 each) comes in all four pictured colors.  Hang in a multi-colored grouping as shown or stick with a more mono-chromatic look with a single color choice.  Either way, they add the perfect touch of classical whimsy to any room.


Now, you might be saying, "That's great, but all I have are ugly can lights that limit me to an exposed lightbulb in a recessed socket."  No fear my friends!  Let me inform you of the most fantastic invention - the pendant adapter for can lights!  Can you tell I'm a little excited?  All you do is screw this contraption into the socket and (voila!) you have a pendant light.  Another awesome feature of these converters is that they have a built-in spindle that allows you to adjust the cord length depending on where you want the light to hang.  Here are 3 great options:

 Home Decorator's Collection Harper Instant Pendant Light Conversion Kit ($59) for contemporary clean lines

 Home Decorator's Collection Ryder Instant Pendant Light Conversion Kit ($59) for some modern warmth

Ballard Design Glass Pendant Shade Adapter for Recessed Can Lights ($69) for a traditional look that goes with any decor

I'm loving them all, and now need to figure out which ones I want to order for 2 of my recessed lights hanging over the sink peninsula in my kitchen.  Choices choices...so glad they're so affordable too!  Which of these pendant lights is your fave?  Let me know which ones are inspiring you to join the light fixture craze.