Well-placed pendant lighting is one of the simplest ways to illuminate any kitchen. These versatile fixtures can serve as dramatic mood lighting, brighten a workhorse kitchen, or even provide the illusion of much-needed space for a smaller room . Pendants constructed from wood, glass, steel, and even paper ensure there’s a light out there for every taste, style, and budget. From a rustic Montana mountain retreat to a tranquil gardener’s cottage in Illinois, we’ve picked 31 of our favorite examples that have graced the pages of AD over the years. Here’s where to find that perfect fixture .

Jeff Zimmerman designed the transparent, bubble-like pendant lights in the kitchen of a tranquil waterfront home on New York’s Shelter Island.

A trio of kicky yellow pendant lamps accent a John-Paul Philippé mural in the kitchen of Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan’s beachfront retreat .

A pair of classic shaded pendant lights decorate the kitchen of a charming 1930s gardener’s cottage .

A single suspended lamp, custom made by Xavier Llongueras, hangs over a Caesarstone kitchen island in a Laguna Beach, California, home .

Designer Jamie Drake’s 3,000-square-foot Manhattan penthouse boasts pendant lights of his own design, as well as a custom kitchen island with Alpha Workshops cabinetry finished in gold leaf.

The Mexican-modern-inspired light fixture in a bright and airy Northern California home was created by interior designer April Powers.

The kitchen in a Spanish-inspired Hollywood home is decorated with Paul Ferrante pendant lamps, accented by dark-stained Douglas-fir ceiling beams.

Pendant lights from Ann-Morris Antiques hang from the pressed-tin ceiling in the kitchen of a Montana mountain home .

The kitchen in a remodeled North Carolina home features industrial-style light fixtures from RH.

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Tom Dixon pendant lights accent this kitchen , which is outfitted with walnut cabinetry by Furze Bard + Assoc. and Miele ovens; the A. Rudin chairs are upholstered in a Spinneybeck leather.

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Niche Modern pendant lights hang over the island . The backsplash of metal-mosaic tile is by Nemo Tile; the refrigerator is by Sub-Zero, the microwave is by Viking, and the sink is by Elkay.

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This kitchen boasts lanterns by Baker and Waterworks sink fittings; the Dessin Fournir stools are clad in an Edelman leather, and dishes are stowed on an étagère by Lars Bolander.

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Sconces from Urban Electric Co. illuminate the sink areas, and pendant lights designed by Rela are installed over the stainless-steel islands; Thermador refrigerator and freezer columns (one unseen) bookend the far counter, and the range is by Wolf.

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Artemide pendant lights are paired with oak cabinetry designed by architect Frank Greenwald .

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Vistosi pendant lights purchased at auction at Phillips de Pury complement a bespoke table; the Hans J. Wegner chairs are from Furniture from Scandinavia, and the rug is by Stark.

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Custom-glazed subway tiles wrap the kitchen walls. Along with 1930s aluminum pendant lamps and a Beaux Arts–style clock, the space boasts a Lacanche range, a RangeCraft hood, and barstools from Sundance Catalog; the sink fittings are by Michael S. Smith for Kallista.

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Roman Thomas pendant lights are installed above a Ray Booth –designed island; Ann Sacks tile was used for the backsplash, the sink fittings are by Kohler, and the stools are by BDDW.

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Oak beams shelter this kitchen, which has a Viking hood and cooktop and Calacatta gold marble counters; the alabaster pendant lights are by Urban Archaeology.

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The pendant lights in this kitchen are by Twentytwentyone, and the stools and corner bookcase are from Design Within Reach.

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Antique Tunisian tile from Exquisite Surfaces creates a lively backsplash in this kitchen , which is appointed with Formations pendant lights, marble countertops from Compas Architectural Stone, custom-made alder cabinetry, an oak island, and a Wolf range.

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The breakfast area is connected to this kitchen , which is outfitted with vintage Swedish pendant lamps from R 20th Century, Boffi cabinetry, a Gaggenau cooktop, and a Samsung television.

At a Maine compound renovated by designer Suzanne Kasler and architect Les Cole, the poolhouse kitchen features Urban Archaeology pendant lights, a Thermador range, sink fittings by Michael S. Smith for Kallista, and counter stools from Walters; the Roman shade is made of a Jasper print, the backsplash is of Waterworks tile, and the walls are painted in a Benjamin Moore blue.

The kitchen of a Martha’s Vineyard residence designed by Ariel Ashe and Reinaldo Leandro features a Sub-Zero refrigerator, a Wolf range, and Dornbracht sink fittings; the minimalist pendant lights are by Davide Groppi, the Bernard-Albin Gras sconces are by Design Within Reach, and the barstools are by Garza Marfa.

At a Southampton, New York, retreat renovated by designer David Netto and architect David Hottenroth, tiles custom made by Tile Guild based on Gio Ponti designs animate the kitchen, which is appointed with pendant lights by Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co., a hood custom made by RangeCraft, a Sub-Zero refrigerator, a Wolf range, and a pair of BassamFellows tractor stools from Design Within Reach.

At a Kentucky home revived by architect Joel Barkley and interior designer Todd Klein, pendant lights by Lindsey Adelman Studio illuminate the kitchen, which is equipped with a hood by Vent-A-Hood, a Wolf range, and Rohl sink fittings; the stools are by Altura Furniture from Dennis Miller Assoc., and the walls are clad in Waterworks tile.

The kitchen of a Long Island home renovated by designer Daniel Sachs and architect Kevin Lindores includes 1920s American pendant lights and a bespoke copper hood; the range is by Bertazzoni, and the cabinetry at far right is painted in Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue.

The kitchen of a Hamptons home decorated by Steven Gambrel mixes a collection of vintage flush-mount lights with custom-made enamel pendant lamps by Ann-Morris. Stools by Palecek join a Gambrel-designed table; the custom-made range is by Lacanche, the refrigerators are by Sub-Zero, and the wall tile is by Walker Zanger.

The kitchen cabinetry in Fiona Kotur’s Hong Kong home was conceived by Kotur and architectural designer Alexander Stewart; a lithograph by Mary Evancho overlooks a slate countertop.

Counters of reclaimed mahogany top pine cabinetry in the kitchen of a country house in Oxfordshire, England. The range is by Lacanche, and the brass sink fittings are by Barber Wilsons & Co.

George III–style dining chairs surround a table by Made in the kitchen of Brooke Shields’s Manhattan home ; the pendant lamps are by Foscarini, the range is by Wolf, and the chimney breast—faced in glazed tile—displays a Malcolm Liepke painting.

At a Manhattan apartment designed by Steven Gambrel, pendant lights by Gambrel for the Urban Electric Co. hang in the kitchen, which features walls sheathed in Urban Archaeology tile and cabinetry by Gambrel and Arcologica; the hood is by RangeCraft, the range is by Viking, and the sink fittings are by Kallista.