Living room lighting: pendant height and floor lamp placement
By Nassim Hasni, publisher of DecoScale · published
In a living room, a pendant leaves 200 cm of clearance beneath it, a floor lamp sits within 50 cm of a wall or a seat, and two lamps are at least 150 cm apart. Here are those distances, the height of a pendant by ceiling and that of a floor lamp.
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How high should a pendant hang in a living room?
At least 210 cm from the floor to the bottom of the shade, and 120 cm from the nearest wall, according to the retailer Kaspa. DecoScale counts 200 cm: a pendant that hangs lower is flagged, you bump into it. The chart gives the maximum hanging length, from the ceiling to the bottom of the pendant, with those two clearances.
| Ceiling height (cm) | Bottom of the pendant advised by Kaspa, from the floor (cm) | Maximum hanging length, 200 cm clearance: DecoScale (cm) | Maximum hanging length, 210 cm clearance: Kaspa (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 230 | ceiling light preferred; 180 if you insist | 30 | 20 |
| 250 | 210 | 50 | 40 |
| 260 | 210 | 60 | 50 |
| 270 | 210 | 70 | 60 |
| 320 | 270 to 300 | 120 | 110 |
Hanging length: from the ceiling to the bottom of the pendant. DecoScale applies its clearance to any pendant; Kaspa gives it for a living room.
Under a low ceiling, Kaspa advises giving up the pendant for a ceiling light or spots, and, if you insist, hanging it at 180 cm: lower than DecoScale allows. The pendant is a case where the source and the engine do not say the same thing, and the chart shows both.
How high above a dining table?
The bottom of the pendant sits 75 to 90 cm above the tabletop, according to Kaspa. DecoScale does not judge that height: it only checks the clearance under any pendant.
Where do you put a floor lamp in a living room?
In a corner or against a seat: within 50 cm of a wall or an armrest, according to DecoScale, which flags a floor lamp standing in the middle of the room. And within reach of those who sit: within 120 cm of the main sofa, because a floor lamp lights those who are seated. A floor lamp does not mask a window for DecoScale: it lets the light through and moves with one hand.
How tall should a floor lamp be beside a sofa?
The bottom of the shade at seated shoulder height: 104 to 114 cm from the floor, for a lamp 147 to 163 cm tall, according to the site HomeBaa. The light then falls over your shoulder, without glare. DecoScale does not judge the height of the floor lamp.
How many lamps in a living room, and how far apart?
DecoScale thinks of light in three spread-out levels, ceiling, middle, floor: a pendant or a ceiling light, table lamps, a floor lamp. Two lamps, on the floor or on a surface, are at least 150 cm apart: two sources in the same place make only one pool of light. That rule is soft: in a small room, it looks for the layout that respects it best.
How does DecoScale choose and place the lighting?
It places the furniture first, then the lights according to the rules above. The lights come from the catalogue, at their real dimensions: a pendant hangs from the ceiling, a floor lamp stands on the floor, a table lamp goes on a piece of furniture. The plan of the room comes from your photos and two tape-measure dimensions: see the Method page. The other living room distances are on the room layout dimensions page; for the coffee table, the coffee table size guide.
Frequently asked questions
How high should a pendant hang in a living room?
At least 210 cm from the floor to the bottom of the shade, according to the retailer Kaspa. DecoScale flags a pendant that leaves less than 200 cm.
What pendant length under a 250 cm ceiling?
At most 50 cm from the ceiling to the bottom of the pendant with DecoScale's 200 cm, 40 cm with Kaspa's 210 cm.
How high above a dining table?
75 to 90 cm above the tabletop, according to Kaspa. DecoScale does not judge that height.
Where do you put a floor lamp in a living room?
In a corner or against a seat, within 50 cm of a wall or an armrest, and within 120 cm of the main sofa.
How tall should a floor lamp be beside a sofa?
About 147 to 163 cm, with the bottom of the shade 104 to 114 cm from the floor, according to HomeBaa. DecoScale does not judge that height.
How far apart should two lamps be?
At least 150 cm apart, centre to centre: two sources in the same place make only one pool of light.
Read next
- The right distances for laying out a living room and a bedroom
- Living room design from a photo
- What size coffee table should you choose for your sofa?
- Small living room layout: the measurements that decide
- What size armchair should you choose for your living room, and where do you put it?
- All guides