The simple perfection of the right pendant light is often the 'make it' moment for beautiful interior spaces.

Whether that pendant is simple or elaborate, it is the pairing of sculptural form with balanced scale that makes it right for the project. Really good pendant lighting is in fact one of the defining elements of an interior that sets it apart as both unique and composed.

Eliá House by Studio Prineas

It’s not just the dining table that takes pride of place as featured furniture in the home. A large industrial lamp sits over the dining table where its simple white presence anchors the space beautifully. Parentesi lights by Euroluce are suspended from the ceiling.

A sofa from B&B Italia which isn’t produced anymore sits in the living room. Nearby, an inviting Eames chair provides a classic touch to the living space, as do the Louis Paulsen PH5 Pendants in white (Cult). Read more.

Architecture and interiors – Studio Prineas
Photography – Chris Warnes

Music Box by Multiplicity

“We prefer using a limited palette of materials but in different ways. In this case, we were looking for materials in colours and textures that could appear to be found when you peel off the bark from a tree,” says interior designer Sioux Clark, who used linen fabric in many of the rooms, including in the bedrooms as curtains and bedheads, as well as for the entire length of the main living room. In keeping with this strategy, the large pendant adds an additional layer of textural nuance. Read more.

Architecture and interiors – Multiplicity
Photography – Trevor Mein
Lighting designer – Jane McGinness

Bondi House by Studio Johnston

“Our aim was to achieve a cohesive material language,” says Brad Phillips, Studio Johnston, Associate. To this end, natural materials and tones are continued in the pendant lighting. Moreover, scale is integral to a good design and pendant lighting must fit neatly into the space neither overwhelming nor seeming scant.

Studio Johnson’s use of a simple Nelson bubble lamp perfectly coalesces the casual dining area, while the clear glass globes over the kitchen are almost invisible during the day, while warm and containing at night. Read more.

Architecture & interiors – Studio Johnston
Photography – Dave Wheeler and Brett Boardman

Croyden House by Arent&Pyke

Creating a statement with large Copenhagen pendants in black from &tradition, the design uses the floating sculptural forms to contain the kitchen, while the shimmering joy of a copper shade over the dining table centres the space perfectly.

The island bench is a salient, sculptural feature, where marble and timber spill over the counter top to artistically play on the object’s form and function. This playful aspect is also emphasised in the oversized button drawer pulls. The neutral stone material of these balancing their exaggerated appearance. Read more.

Interior design – Arent&Pyke
Photography – Tom Ferguson

Armadale Residence by Flack Studio

Working within the client’s preference for a restrained colour palette, everything upon which the eye alights appears meticulously handpicked. Where a rush of colour might otherwise provide bold, visual interest, here instead the eye is unhurriedly drawn down to textural chevron timber filling the floorplate with soft geometries.

Offsetting the lustre of its patina by adjacent white walls and generous use of Calacatta marble, the pristine sincerity of white allows the interventions of time and nature to shine through – whether that be in the curious knotting and ring marks of timber, or the delicate veining and variegation decorating stone surfaces. Here, the incredible Apparatus Studio ‘Trapeze 10’ pendant light is brought into contrast with the dark timber allowing its sculptural form to be writ large. Read more.

Interior design – Flack Studio
Photography – Brooke Holm