Pendant lighting: Air of suspension

Getting the lighting right at your home is very important as it sets off the atmosphere in the rooms you relax in at home and provides the right environment for different aspects of our lifestyles from cosy family evenings, to children studying for exams, to romantic evenings between couples.

Lighting works on three levels in a room, floor level, on the walls and on the ceiling. However, pendant lighting is used to target certain areas, for instance fitting statement pendant lights low over a kitchen island unit or dining table as a stand-out feature, or as a softer way to light a room than spotlights.

Richenda Oldham picks her top five pendant lights and suggests ways to hang them:-

1 Brightly coloured pendants in simple but strong shapes look good against plain backgrounds and work equally well either hung on their own or in closely grouped clusters, Red Calabash pendant made from drawn aluminium in three sizes, £189-£478, Available from Rume

2 Creek landscape pendant lamp shade, £90, www.chocolatecreative.co.uk

3 Hallways call for a light that can add drama, sparkle and style to your home's main entrance. Toulouse pendant light, featuring a nine-light spiral of rippled glass globes with a concealed LED light source, £192, www.darlighting.co.uk

4 Multiple matching pendants with distinctive bulbs hung above a breakfast bar are the perfect solution to providing sufficient task lighting, but with style. Industrial style Triple Batten Holder with antique brass shades, £280, Available from Alexander and Pearl

5 Create a focal point in your sitting room with a big bold statement light that looks good from any angle. If it is hung over a coffee table, it can be positioned lower, without the worry of people bumping their heads. Midnight II black lacquered gold plated and blown-glass chandelier, £12,940, www.touchedinteriors.co.uk