Hanging height is what separates lighting that feels considered from lighting that feels installed. The fixture can be perfect and still look wrong if it sits six inches too high. Here are the heights that work, room by room.
How high should a pendant hang over a dining table?
Thirty to thirty-six inches from the tabletop to the bottom of the shade. Thirty feels intimate and contains the light; thirty-six is more open and suits taller ceilings. For every foot of ceiling above eight feet, add roughly three inches.
Over a kitchen island?
Thirty to thirty-six inches above the countertop, which usually lands the fixture at around 66 to 72 inches from the floor. The test is whether someone standing at the island can see across it comfortably. If the shade cuts across eye level, raise it.
For multiple pendants over an island, allow 24 to 30 inches between centres and keep the outer fixtures at least 6 inches in from the island's ends.
In a hallway or entryway?
The bottom of any fixture should clear seven feet from the floor — that is the practical minimum for walking under. In a double-height entry, hang the fixture so the bottom sits roughly level with the top of the door frame on the upper floor, or centred in the window if there is one.
Beside a bed?
Wall sconces flanking a bed usually sit 30 to 36 inches above the mattress, or roughly at shoulder height when you are sitting up reading. Pendants beside a bed hang lower, typically 20 to 24 inches above the nightstand, which keeps the light where you need it and the surface clear.
Over a stairwell?
Measure from the highest step the fixture passes over, and keep at least seven feet of clearance from that step. This is the one case where it pays to have someone hold the fixture in place while you look from the floor below.
In a bathroom?
Sconces either side of a mirror sit best at around 60 to 66 inches from the floor, roughly at eye level, spaced 36 to 40 inches apart. Light from the sides is far more flattering than light from directly above, which casts shadows downward across the face.
The rule behind the rules
Every number above is really answering the same two questions: can people move through the space without ducking, and does the light land where the activity is? When a measurement in a guide conflicts with either of those, trust the room.
Before you drill
Cut a paper circle the diameter of your shade, tape it to a length of string, and hang it at the height you are considering. Live with it for an evening. It takes ten minutes and saves a lot of patching.
Every fixture we stock lists its total drop and whether the rod or cable can be shortened. Browse pendants or wall lights to check the numbers.