Lighting Guide

The Hensley Lighting Guide

How to choose, size and hang your lighting

Choosing a light is mostly about three things: size, height and the color of the light. This guide covers the rules of thumb designers use, so you can order with confidence. Every Hensley product page also has a full specification table — dimensions, cord length, wattage, color temperature and installation type — to check against.

1. How high to hang a pendant

Where Bottom of the shade
Kitchen island or counter 30–36 in above the countertop
Dining table 30–36 in above the tabletop
Walkways, entries, open floor At least 7 ft above the floor

These figures assume an 8 ft ceiling. For each extra foot of ceiling height, raise the fixture about 3 in. Most of our pendants have an adjustable cord — the cord length is listed in each product's specifications.

2. Pendants over a kitchen island

  • Spacing: leave roughly 24–30 in between the centers of each pendant.
  • Ends: keep each outer pendant at least 6 in in from the end of the island.
  • How many: on a typical 6–8 ft island, two larger pendants (14 in wide or more) or three smaller ones usually look balanced. Odd numbers tend to read as more deliberate.
Quick check: island length ÷ (number of pendants + 1) gives an even spacing for each light.

3. Sizing a light for a dining table

Pick a fixture roughly ½ to ⅔ the width of the table, and keep about 12 in of clearance from each edge so nobody hits it standing up. For a long table, a linear fixture or two pendants spaced along its length spreads the light more evenly than one large piece.

4. Sizing a ceiling light

Add the room's length and width in feet. The result is a good fixture diameter in inches. A 12 ft × 14 ft room → about a 26 in fixture. For low ceilings (under 8 ft), choose a flush mount so the light sits tight to the ceiling.

5. Where to mount wall sconces

Where Guideline
Living rooms, hallways Center of the fixture about 60–66 in from the floor
Either side of a mirror Around eye level, roughly 36–40 in apart
Bedside About 20–24 in above the top of the mattress, so light falls on your book
Hallway runs One every 8–10 ft

6. Color temperature (Kelvin)

Kelvin Looks like Best for
2700–3000K Warm, golden Living rooms, bedrooms, dining
3500–4000K Neutral white Kitchens, bathrooms, home offices
5000–6500K Cool daylight Garages, utility rooms, detailed task work

On our product pages, Warm White options are around 3000K and White options are cooler (the exact figure is in each specification table). Where a product offers a Dimmable or 3-color option, you can switch between them.

7. How bright is bright enough?

Compare lumens, not watts. A rough guide for overall room light:

Room Lumens per sq ft
Living room, bedroom 10–20
Dining room 30–40
Kitchen (general) 30–40, plus task light over work areas
Bathroom 70–80

Many of our fixtures list an illumination area in square feet in their specifications — the quickest way to check a light suits your room. Layering an overhead fixture with lamps or sconces almost always looks better than one very bright light.

8. Hardwired, plug-in or rechargeable

  • Hardwired (most pendants, ceiling lights and many sconces): connects to an existing junction box. If you're not comfortable with electrical work, we recommend a licensed electrician.
  • Plug-in: no wiring — plug into an outlet and go.
  • Rechargeable / cordless (many of our table lamps): charge by USB and place anywhere. Runtime per charge is listed on each product page.

9. Bulbs and dimming

  • Integrated LED: the light source is built in — no bulb to buy or change.
  • Bulb base: E26 is the standard US household base; E12 is candelabra; E14 is a smaller European base. Each product's specification table says which base it takes and whether a bulb is included.
  • Dimming: some fixtures dim from a compatible wall dimmer, others by touch or remote, and some don't dim at all. Check the dimming and control details in each product's specifications before you buy.

Questions?

Our support team can help with sizing, installation or anything in a product's specifications. Email support@shophensley.com or call (539) 200-3966, Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm CST.

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