Hallway Pendant Lights: Our Install, Tips, and Hallway Makeover
From the moment we saw this house, something about the line of three pendant lights in the upstairs hallway made us inexplicably excited. We call it the “tri-light zone” effect. Once we looked past the old carpeting and blue trim, we knew that arrangement had serious potential. The existing fixtures were a little small for our taste (photos don’t capture it well, but this is a 33-foot long hallway), and they were also crooked—one had a broken stem and the center fixture was larger than the others.
We’d admired similar lantern-style pendants for years after spotting them during a house feature in 2012. They have a blend of classic and modern styling: a dark finish for contrast without feeling heavy thanks to the glass sides. My partner and I both liked them, but the original option was pricey—about $250 per fixture—which would have been steep for three.
We searched local lighting outlets, the ReStore, and even Craigslist, but finding three identical fixtures proved difficult. Eventually we found similar pendants on sale at a national retailer and were able to buy all three for less than the cost of one inspiration fixture. The affordable price meant we could achieve a cohesive look without breaking the bank.
We handled the install ourselves with an electrician’s help and picked up a couple of small but useful tricks worth sharing:
- Leave protective packaging on during installation. Watching a pro work made this obvious—keep any plastic or cardboard in place while you hang the fixture so the finish and glass stay protected while you maneuver and wire it. Remove the packaging only before powering the light and inserting the bulb.
- Hang low first, then raise to your final height. It’s usually easier to raise a light than to lower it after you’ve cut the chain or trimmed the wire. Hanging the fixture a bit lower during wiring made the whole process less cramped and made it easier for my partner to support the fixture while I connected the wires.
Our ceilings are 8 feet high, so we couldn’t let the lanterns dangle too far. We shortened the chain by prying open links with two pairs of pliers; to protect the finish we wrapped the pliers’ tips in masking tape. Because the old middle fixture had been lower than the others, we decided to hang the new pendants by a single chain link so the bottoms of the lanterns would sit slightly higher than that previous center light. After installation, the bases of the fixtures measure about 77 inches from the floor—comfortable for our 6-foot height and visually balanced for the space.
Shortening the cord required cutting open the fabric cover, pulling it back, and stripping the ends of the white, black, and green wires. With the power off, we connected matching wires to the ceiling junctions. Once everything was secure we swapped the longer chain for the single link and tucked the excess wire into the canopy, tightening the set screw to hold the wiring in place.
The whole install for all three fixtures took a few hours, partly because we paused for photos and calls, but the final result was worth the effort. These larger-scale lanterns create strong visual contrast against the lighter walls and coordinate with dark door hardware and the stained stair railing below, giving the hallway a more deliberate, polished feel.
On the functionality side, I’d worried the new setup might be dimmer since we moved from three multi-bulb fixtures to three single-bulb lanterns. The new bulbs are higher wattage (60W equivalents instead of 40W) and the glass reflects light well, so the hallway actually feels brighter than before. The clear bulbs that came with the fixtures cast angular shadows on the ceiling—an interesting effect that we may soften later by switching to frosted bulbs or LEDs.
We’re also planning several upgrades to round out the hallway and add balance to the oversized fixtures:
- Reinstall and possibly modify the laundry area doors
- Add crown molding (those angles will be a workout)
- Add thick wainscoting to give more substance to the lower half of the hallway
- Choose artwork to create visual interest along the wall
UPDATE: We’ve since transitioned the house to LED bulbs wherever possible. LEDs save energy and money and last a long time, so you change bulbs far less often. For US-based readers, look for warm, dimmable LED interior bulbs with a color temperature around 2700K–3000K to avoid harsh blue light and to maintain the warm glow in hallways and living spaces.
Overall, the pendants transformed the hallway’s character. They’re a bit oversized, which might not be everyone’s preference, but for us the scale and contrast are exactly what the space needed. With a few finishing touches—wainscoting, molding, and curated art—this long hallway will feel cohesive, intentional, and warmly lit.