Basket Pendant Lights: Woven Rattan and Bamboo Shades

The usual rule is that a single pendant should be around one third to one half the width of the table it hangs over. For a 90 cm round table that puts you between 30 and 45 cm. For a 180 cm dining table, a single pendant would need to be very large, so two or three smaller ones spaced evenly is the easier answer.

Height matters as much as width. Hang the bottom of the shade 75 to 85 cm above the tabletop. Over a kitchen island, drop that to 70 to 80 cm above the counter, since the counter itself is higher.

In a stairwell or a double-height hallway, the shade can be considerably larger than the rules above suggest, because it is being read from a distance rather than sat under. This is where the widest baskets in the range earn their place.

A rattan lamp shade is not a diffuser in the way a fabric drum is. Open weaves let most of the light straight through the sides, so the room gets bright and the table underneath gets less than you expect. Tight weaves do the opposite and behave more like a conventional shade.

If the pendant is the only light source in the room, favour a tighter weave or plan on adding a floor lamp. If it is one layer among several, an open weave gives you the shadow pattern that makes these lights worth having.

Bulb choice compounds this. Keep to 2700K to 3000K so the fibre stays honey-coloured rather than grey, and use a lower wattage than you would inside a solid shade. A dimmable bulb is the simplest way to keep an open weave from glaring at eye level.

The words get used interchangeably by most retailers, including us in some product names. The useful distinction is bulb count. A basket pendant holds one bulb inside one shade. A basket chandelier holds several bulbs, or several shades hung from one fitting.

A single pendant suits a small table, a bedside, or a run of three over an island. A chandelier suits a room where the light is meant to be the thing you notice first, usually a dining room or an entrance hall with height to spare.

Weight is worth checking before you choose. Multi-shade fittings are still light compared with glass, but they need a ceiling fixing rated for the load. The weight is listed on each product page.

Dining rooms and kitchen islands are the obvious homes. Bedrooms work well too, either as a pair either side of the bed in place of table lamps, or as one central fixture on a dimmer.

Stairwells and hallways are the underused option. A wide woven basket read from below fills vertical space that would otherwise need artwork, and the shadow pattern lands on a large blank wall.

Avoid bathrooms and any spot that stays damp. Natural fibre takes on moisture, and the weave loosens and marks. Also keep them off the space directly above a hob, where grease works into the weave and will not come out.