Cluster & Spiral Pendant Lights

Cluster lights hang several pendants from a single ceiling plate, each on its own drop and each set to a different height. One fixing point, one switch, and a group of lights that reads as a single piece. Most of our range is glass on black, brass or chrome, from three drops up to twenty.

What is a cluster pendant?

A cluster pendant is a number of light fittings run from one power source and one ceiling plate. Each lamp hangs on its own cable, so you get the look of several separate pendants without several separate holes in the ceiling.

Clusters make an eye-catching statement in whichever room they are in, while still doing the job of a ceiling light. The difference between a cluster and a plain multi-light fitting is the drops: on a cluster they hang at different lengths, which is what gives the arrangement its depth.

Where do cluster lights work best?

Cluster fittings are height adjustable, which is what makes them so useful. Each drop can be shortened or lengthened on installation, so one fitting suits a 2.4m ceiling and a stairwell equally.

They work best where there is height to fill or a specific spot to mark:

• Hallways with a high ceiling – the drops can be staggered steeply so the arrangement is seen from the landing as well as from the door. See our hallway lighting range.
• Above a stairway – the classic position, and the one where a cluster beats anything else. Our stairwell lighting and double height ceiling ranges cover the long drops.
• Over a dining table or island – a tight cluster of three gives you the look of three separate pendants from one fixing.
• Sitting rooms – a wider spread, hung higher, works as the main ceiling light without looking like one.

How many drops do I need?

Three is the most common and the safest. A three light pendant ceiling light in cluster form suits a hall, a small dining table or a bedside grouping, and is the size most rooms can take without the fitting dominating.

Five to eight drops suit a larger room or a wide stairwell. Above that you are into feature territory, and those fittings need height above them to look deliberate rather than crowded.

Two things to check before you order. The drop length, because a cluster that cannot be shortened enough is no use over a table. And the diameter of the ceiling plate, which on a large cluster can be 40cm or more and needs a flat surface to sit against.

Glass, black and brass

Most of our clusters use glass shades, and the glass is what decides the character. Clear and ribbed glass throws light and sparkle downwards. Smoked and mirrored glass mutes it and suits a room where the fitting is meant to be seen rather than to light. Opal and frosted glass gives the softest spread. If glass pendant lights are what you are after, this is the category with the most of them.

Black is our biggest finish here, usually matt black with clear or amber glass, and it is the default on new builds. A black pendant light in cluster form is the one arrangement that works against both white and dark walls.

Antique and brushed brass are the warmer option and pair well with amber and smoked glass. Chrome and polished nickel stay neutral and disappear behind the glass.

What style of cluster lights are available?

Our cluster pendant lights range from attention-grabbing to sleek, traditionally simplistic to modern, for example the Jaxon from Endon in black and gold. Fittings are crafted to a high standard, from mirrored finishes to champagne gold, black chrome to crystal, all at good value. You are guaranteed to find a design that suits among our collection.

Bulbs

Most clusters take E14 or E27 lamps. Because you are looking at several bulbs at once, and often through clear glass, buy them together and in the same colour temperature. A mismatch across a cluster is far more obvious than on a single pendant. Our LED bulbs are dimmable and cover both fittings.

Related categories

• Pendant lights – the full pendant range, including single drops and over island fittings.
• Ceiling light fittings – multi-light centre fittings where the lamps sit on arms rather than drops.
• Chandeliers – crystal and glass fittings for a dining room or a stairwell.
• Stairwell lighting – long drop fittings for halls and landings with height.
• Kitchen and island lighting – clusters and pendants sized for over an island.