The Statement-Making Lighting Trend We Can’t Get Enough Of

Statement pendants are a lot like statement earrings or necklaces. Find a compelling enough fixture (or piece of jewelry), and you can keep the rest of your room (or outfit) pretty simple. Oversized fixtures not only shine a light on your space, they also draw the eye upward and can make a room seem loftier, fancier and definitely more pulled together. Such pendants can be expensive (the Tom Dixon copper pendant seen above in a kitchen from Fantastic Frank is about $750), but that’s mainly because they are so big. And really, for their size, you get a lot of decorative bang for your buck, so they’re a great one-and-done solution in kitchens, dining rooms, living areas and even bedrooms.

Let’s start our oversize pendant world tour, if you will, with a common area in stationery company-turned-home goods purveyor Minted’s headquarters (featured on Lonny), which is anchored by a big capiz shell pendant. I love this look. The shape is graphic yet textural, so it makes a lot of impact without reading as super busy. It also plays nicely with the factory-style windows.

Lanterns have gotten a lot bigger and better as well, as evidenced by this light, bright kitchen’s lighting game, designed by Jacquelyn Clark. Take those faceted brass babies out of this equation, and the room really is a just big white box. So really, between those lanternesque pendants and the caged Eames-style stool, the room is totally made made.

Okay, so the lights in this dining room found via Decoist look a little bit like huge upside down mixing bowls, but I’m okay with that (in fact, I’m pretty sure that exact DIY exists somewhere on Pinterest). The gold interior adds a chic, unexpected hit of shine, and the matte black finish is very on trend right now.

Clear glass globe pendants have been a popular lighting choice the past few years for their vintage industrial feel. But add an oversize version to the mix (like these from Beacon Lighting), and the look is suddenly more modern.

Noguchi pendants are kind of as simple but impactful as oversize pendants get. The Akari paper lantern orb is a staggering 47 inches in diameter. It kind of looks like a full moon—just teetering over the table, but there’s no denying that it’s beautiful and visually arresting.

But you don’t have to blow your budget to achieve the look. The ubiquitous IKEA Maskros is a fan fave. It’s huge yet visually light and under $100. I’ve seen it painted too, so don’t be afraid of that hack. Whether left white or given a coat of gold spray paint, for example, the Maskros is an extremely versatile light that’s equally at home in a cheery dining area or kid’s bedroom or nursery.

Below are our favorite statement-making pendants (and an oversize lantern thrown in there, too, for good measure). Happy shopping!

1. Tom Dixon Copper 17.7 Inch Pendant at Lamps.com, $735
2. Butte 22″ Dome Pendant at Rejuvenation, $449
3. The Wesco Deep Bowl Chain Hung Pendant (20-inch shade) at Barn Light USA, $205
4. Hammered Steel Oversized Dome Pendant at Shades of Light, $870
5. Archer Black Pendant Light at CB2, $299
6. Gold Patina 5 Light Winta Pendant at Cost Plus World Market, $415
7. Regina Andrew Design Camden 5-Light Lantern at Horchow, $565
8. Capiz Shell Pendant 30″ at Restoration Hardware, $895
9. Forchini 16″ Wide White and Gold Dome Pendant at Lamps Plus, $213
10. Eos X-Large Pendant Light at Y Lighting, $718
11. Maskros Pendant Lamp at IKEA, $90
12. Large Dome Copper Pendant at Shades of Light, $435
13. Akari Light Sculpture (70F) at the Noguchi Museum, $520
14. Oversized Equator Pendant Light at CB2, $199
15. Feiss Locke 30″W Weathered Rusted Iron and Oak Pendant Light at Lamps Plus, $400
16. Barton 30″ Pleated Drum Pendant at Rejuvenation, $599
17. Robert Abbey Williamsburg Custis Pendant Light at Y Lighting, $403
18. Rectangular 4-Sided Glass Pendant Lamp at Cost Plus World Market, $270