How to Design the Perfect Outdoor Space with Pendant Lighting

If you’re already thinking about how to illuminate your outdoor space, you may be aware there’s a world of choice! Spotlights, wall lights, deck lighting – all are fantastic at creating specific effects and atmospheres. However, have you considered changing the look of your garden and outdoor areas with pendant lighting?

Pendant lighting is becoming increasingly popular. These illuminating standards hang, sway and dangle (safely!) from ceiling fixtures and walls. They arrive in various colours, shapes and sizes, meaning you won’t have to worry about fixing all your lights in place.

If you’d like to keep your lighting flowing free and easy, pendants may be the way forward. Let’s take a closer glance at how to work them to your advantage.

Bring the Indoors, Outdoors

One of the most appealing factors in pendant lighting is, of course, the fact that they emulate indoor lights. Just as you’d expect to find hanging lamps and shades inside the home, you can transfer this style outside, too. This may be the perfect touch, for example, if you intend to create an outdoor dining or drinks area.

Many people struggled to blend their homely interiors with their exteriors. For many, an outdoor space is pretty far removed from the lounge and kitchen. However, if you are undergoing an all-out renovation, it may be worth carrying consistent styles outside. Stylish pendant lighting, such as Homefield Pendant 240 by Astro works wonders in a variety of aesthetics.

Pendant lighting used to create an ‘indoor’ emulation outside can be rustic and ‘upcycled’ or sleek and stylish. Our Homefield choice here certainly falls into the latter! However, this style of pendant lantern can complement both modern and classical outdoor areas alike. It is styled in textured black, and you immediately have a neutral look that won’t create too much of a distraction.

Of course, it’s essential to choose pendant lighting that isn’t too intense for you or your guests. These are lights that will likely dangle down over you when you eat and drink. Therefore, it pays perhaps to choose a low voltage bulb or a muted intensity. There are different colours and strengths you can choose to create different atmospheres.

Pendant lighting used to this extent is fantastic for giving an entertaining area a complete ‘wash’. A handful of these fixtures will keep the whole of your space lit up without fear of losing focus at certain points. Focused lighting in the form of spotlights may be better if you’d like things to be a little more relaxed.

On the other hand, pendant lighting is also fantastic for outdoor offices and working areas. If you’re likely to be reading, researching or working after hours, or when the evenings draw in, they can be assets! Why not take a tour of our full lighting line?

Create Unique Warmth

Depending on the colour and intensity of bulbs you choose, it’s entirely possible to create unique glows with pendant lighting. Many people choose to hang their lighting up from open pergolas. This means you effectively flood the main walls with light, bouncing off front and back or to the sides. You can choose to enclose your area with pendant lighting if you wish, but there’s a risk of too much glare or intensity.

Pendant lights are brilliant at creating drama! The warmth you’d typically expect from an indoor space is immediately achievable with a few well-placed fixtures. It’s entirely possible to create stunning glow effects with deck lighting and spotlights – but the pendant experience is unique.

To create warmth and nuance outside, you may wish to get choosy with the type of pendants you set up. Enclosed lighting or drum fittings, for example, could create a deeper texture.

Of course, it’s entirely possible to build outdoor warmth with pendant lights that show off their bulbs. Our unassuming yet effective Richmond Pendant, for example, gives you the potential for an intensive glow. It does so, too, with that contemporary, stripped-back style.

Pendants such as the Richmond allow your light to travel through all sides and vertices. You are not just concentrating the glow and illumination bouncing around drum walls and beaming down below. These pendants allow you to transfer an eclectic glow across your pergola or outdoor area with ease.

We’d highly recommend you set up pendant lighting in enclosed spaces outdoors for the best glow. It’s entirely possible to use pendants to significant effect without walls. However, it won’t travel so far. Therefore, you need to consider the atmosphere you’d like to create carefully.

It is well worth trying a few ideas on for size. As we always recommend, social media platforms such as Pinterest are great places to start. You’ll be able to see how pendant lights create glow effects and wash through pergolas without installing anything.

We’re proud of our variety of pendants – they’re perfect for all manner of outdoor usage and effects!

A Secure Welcome

Many people choose to set up pendant lighting to light up their entrances and doorways. We can hardly blame them! As we have explored in previous guides, cunningly-positioned outdoor lighting doesn’t just help guide the way. It can also be used to add an extra layer of security too.

While a pendant light may not be a technical security lamp, it can still give you protective illumination.

For example, we’d particularly recommend pendant lighting for tall alcoves and entrances. You could adorn your entranceway with a stylish, hanging lamp that enables people to easily walk through, fully lit. This type of lighting, used on its own or in pairs, is fantastic for framing entrances and doorways.

Our Calvi Pendant 215 is an excellent choice for a duo or pairing either side of an entrance. This is a highly versatile pendant lamp that also works wonderfully in outdoor pergolas. However, these lamps are striking enough to be seen from a distance away and help transform the approach to your home.

They always say that first impressions matter. When it comes to outdoor lighting, you should absolutely start at the front! Whether it is to light up your driveway or to give you extra oversight when people come to the door. Simply look through your viewing window or peephole, and you will have all the illumination you need on your doorstep.

Framing and dressing your front entrance is a delicate art. That’s why we encourage taking a closer look at design ideas online before putting anything into practice. The beauty of our wider pendant lighting ranges lies in the fact that they are so versatile!

As with elsewhere in the garden or outdoor areas, too much intensity on your doorstep is likely to be off-putting. Therefore, you need to consider the voltage/power in your front bulbs carefully. Also, consider putting pendants up that show the bulb – this lets the light travel in all directions for maximum visibility. As mentioned, our modern pendant choices largely remove the walls, so you can let your glow travel further.

Blend the Finish

One of the top reasons for investing in pendant lighting is that their manufacturing is often very versatile. Indoor and outdoor lighting arrives in many different constructions, of course. However, with pendants, you can choose metal or, in some cases, rope construction to complete a look.

What’s appealing about metal pendant lighting is the fact that different finishes blend great with multiple materials. If you have a wooden pergola and want to blend your fixtures, for example, choose something striking to contrast. If you’d rather not make your lights the focal points and focus on the illumination, blend the colours.

Of course, pendant lights tend to be contemporary fittings, which means they may often blend better with modern installations. However, if you choose a retro or rustic style for your outdoor area, you will do well choosing an ‘all around’ aesthetic.

The pendant lighting available in our catalogue will fit most applications. This means that whether you intend to set up a homely outdoor kitchen or a modern bar unit, we’ll help. Again, open pendant lamps work great for letting light travel – and they also tend to date less. Those pendant lights housed in drums or shields create intense glare and may be harder to blend.

Of course, the choice is yours. There are no two definite ways to get the best results when it comes to blending, matching, and complementing. Blending tends to be a good idea if you want to remove attention from your fittings altogether. However, there may be scenarios where you’d want these lamps to stand out!

While we’d normally suggest following your own path in all design matters, blending can be tricky. That’s why it is worth playing it safe with open, versatile pendant lighting if you are unsure. As always, be ready to do plenty of homework online before you buy, too. Don’t forget that we have a wide range of lighting solutions – not just pendants – if other touches and styles take your fancy.

Don’t Over-Concentrate

As with all types of outdoor lighting, there is such a thing as too much illumination. Even if you want to create a huge, glowing outdoor entertaining area, try and keep different lamps to a minimum. Pendant lighting coupled with decking lights and spotlights may work on paper, but it’s a delicate balance in practice.

Too many pendant lights will create an unavoidable wash of illumination. The aim is to generate just enough light to add a delicate glow to your outdoor spaces. In some cases, only one or two pendant lights in a pergola may be enough. Or, a single light hanging from an entranceway might be enough to keep things well-lit and secure.

Naturally, it does also come down to size, colour and shape, too. Smaller pendants are likely to be stronger in numbers, but even then, it can depend on the style and shaping. Cool colours or less demanding shades can also work well in groups. However, striking, even slightly focal tones and styles will need to be kept to a minimum.

It all comes back to blending vs creating points of focus. However, even if you intend to draw attention to your light fittings, it is still easy to overdo the glare. Too much light or too much power will distract from the areas you’d like to highlight. On top of that, you’re at risk of creating a reasonably lazy look.

Some may assume that you set up multiple pendant lamps for the sake of it. Without considering the intensity of different bulbs or lamps, you cast off any idea of intention. This is an area or space that you want to show that you’ve carefully created. There’s no point in throwing lots of light or fittings together for the sake of it!

Conclusion

Pendant lighting is a fairly stylish choice for outdoor areas. This is despite the fact that it is an interior staple! Outdoor hanging lights have long been popular with bars and restaurants that offer outdoor seating areas. However, the market for creating these effects at home is ever-growing.

It’s one of many reasons why we are continuing to develop fantastic lighting solutions for outdoor areas. There are unlimited ways for you to add incredible personality to your garden and patio areas. It all starts with the lighting. Whether you have a pergola or simply want to create an entertainment lounge, we can help!

Of course, it’s always prudent for you to check out different ideas before you install new lights. If you have any lighting queries, we’re on hand to support you. Pendant lights can be contemporary, classical, muted, or outstanding – it is entirely your choice. Make sure to take a look at other guides we’ve produced, too!