Should I use a chandelier or pendant light in my child’s bedroom?

May 01, 2018 115 Comments

The simple answer to this question is yes. You definitely should.

The longer answer is also yes, but takes into account the design of the room, the decor, and of course, your child's character. Should you put a chandelier in your child's bedroom to match the rest of the house?

Perhaps. Think twice before adding a glass chandelier to a teenagers room that you know will be decorated in blacks and greys. Or adding a set of silver pendants to a classic boudoir decorated with Disney princesses.

If your child is old enough, ask them what they would like when you are styling their bedroom, after all, they are the ones who have to look at it the most.

Keep it practical

In your child's bedroom there are a few practicalities to consider when choosing your light. First of all if the ceiling height. You may not have the height to hang a grand chandelier. Keep in mind that while your child may be shorter now, they will grow and you still need to be able to move about the room.

If you have regular ceilings, this doesn’t necessarily mean you cant have a pendant or chandelier, but you will need to be more considerate about placement. With a high ceiling, the middle of the room may be the best place for a chandelier to hang. Choose one that is likely to illuminate the whole room and will hang a good distance from the ceiling.

With a lower roof, consider offsetting your light so it hangs over a part of the room that has less traffic. Over the bed may be a good option and one that is quite common. You could try hanging a chandelier over other pieces of furniture in a bedroom, a desk perhaps, or a reading chair. Check out my post on offset lighting here.

You may need to consider the hanging length of your favoured light. For a standard ceiling, a pendant light not longer than 50cm or so may be preferable. If you are looking to make more of a statement, you could group some shorter pendant lights together. Allow at least 60cm hanging length if you prefer a chandelier.

To work out how much hanging space you have to play with, take a measurement from your ceiling to the floor, then allow at least 2.1 metres of height for areas with through traffic. For spots with no through traffic, like next to a chair or over the bed, hang high enough so that no one will hit the light with any part of their body and so that it will not interrupt the line of sight when sitting/lying.

Natural light is another important consideration in any room. It is a good idea to pay attention to where the natural light falls throughout the day in your child's bedroom before adding a hanging light. There is little point to having a beautiful chandelier hanging in front of a window, as they would cancel each other out most of the time. Allow your windows to bring in daylight and situate your pendant or chandelier in a darker area of the bedroom.

Choosing the right light

Finally, after you have worked out where you want to hang the light, how low from the ceiling, how long the light should be and you have allowed for natural light. So what kind of hanging light should you choose?

This really comes down to a matter of choice (see my post on how to choose your light HERE LINK). As a quick guide though – there is a pendant light to suit nearly every room, while chandeliers may be slightly more restricted according to style.

If you are thinking a natural coastal or rainforest style, try a pendant light in wood, bamboo or cane – the Big Sur Wood Pendant Light has a natural look in a classic style.

If you are looking for clean modern lines in bold colours, try a metal pendant light, or a slick black or white style – the Plato Pendant Light in black and copper, or white and copper would lend a sleek look to a refined teen bedroom.

Shabby chic looks can lend themselves to either chandeliers or pendant lights, so be sure to check out both ranges – the distressed look of the handcrafted Venetian Pendant Light hung from a high ceiling would look great among whites and blues, while the Serafina Chandelier dripping from the ceiling would compliment fluffy white rugs and distressed furniture.

The Sven Timber Pendant Light would look great in a boys room (as above), or a relaxed teen getaway.

Of course, if you are looking for a more classical style, for example a sweet girls bedroom then you are definitely looking for a chandelier.

If space allows, it is hard to go past the Mosman Chandelier which comes with your choice of eight lights or fifteen – the eight light perhaps being a bit easier to fit into a bedroom. If you are slightly more limited for space, consider the elegant Hampton Chandelier.

Work Together

The most important thing is to work together with you child to choose lighting that you both love. Remember, it's their room, they are going to spend the most time there and their childhood should be a magical experience.

If your daughter want to go with a chandelier with pink shades, go with it. You can always easily change the lights as your child grows or when they move on.

Have you hung a chandelier or pendant in your childs bedroom or are you considering it? Leave a comment below to let us know how it worked for you, or if you have any tips for others who are considering a hanging light.

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