Nordstern – Pendant Lamp
by Thomas Waidhofer · Vienna, Austria

A chandelier is a branched or multi-element light fixture suspended from the ceiling, designed to be decorative as much as functional. Historically it held candles on arms; today the term covers any hanging fixture with multiple light sources or components, including linear, cascading, tiered, orbital and sculptural forms.

A pendant is a single shade or fixture on one cord or rod, usually one light source, most often hung in multiples over an island or table. A chandelier is one fixture composed of several arms, elements or light sources, intended to work alone as the focal point of the room. In practice: pendants are repeated, chandeliers are centered.

Material decides how a chandelier behaves both lit and unlit.
• Hand-blown glass: the traditional language of the chandelier and still the most alive. Bubbles, ripples and color refract light unevenly, which is what separates a hand-blown glass chandelier from a molded one.
• Metal: brass, bronze, iron, steel and aluminum for graphic, linear and candelabra forms. Metal takes patina, holds long unsupported arms and gives a crisp silhouette.
• Gypsum, plaster and stone: matte and monolithic, glowing softly at the edges rather than sparkling.
• Wood: walnut, oak and alder in sculptural, jointed forms that warm a room before the light is even on.
• Textile, paper and fiber: woven, wrapped and horsehair pieces that diffuse light broadly and absorb sound, useful over a long table in a hard-surfaced room.
• Acrylic and technical plastics: lightweight and translucent, allowing forms at a scale that would be impossible to hang in glass.

Roughly one half to two thirds the width of the table, with at least 15 cm of clear table on each side. For long rectangular tables, a linear chandelier or a set of two to three pieces running about half the table's length works better than a single round fixture.

Add the room's length and width in meters and multiply by 10 for a diameter in centimeters — a 4 × 5 m room suggests around 90 cm. Adjust for visual weight: an open or glass piece can go larger, a solid one should stay at the lower end.

Between 75 and 90 cm from the tabletop to the lowest point of the fixture, on a 2.4 m ceiling. For higher ceilings, add about 7–8 cm per additional 30 cm of ceiling height. In walkways and hallways, keep 2.1 m of clearance below the fixture instead.

Yes, with the right form. Choose a shallow, compact or close-fitting design that spreads horizontally rather than dropping, and position it away from walkways — over a table, a bed or a seating group where nobody stands directly beneath it.

Vertical pieces: cascading, tiered, linear-drop and mobile designs built to be read across two floors. Hang the fixture so it is visible and centered from the entrance and, where there is a tall window, from outside. Keep the lowest point above the upper floor level and clear of the highest tread — and check how the piece will be cleaned and re-lamped before committing to the height.

Almost always by a qualified electrician, mounted to a ceiling box or structural joist rated for the fixture's weight — not a category for improvised fixings, particularly above a table where people sit. Product pages list weights and dimensions; contact us if you need a figure confirmed before booking an installer.

Frequently, yes. Because most pieces are made to order in the designer's studio, cable or chain length, overall dimensions, finish, number of elements and configuration can often be adapted to a specific ceiling. Send us the ceiling height and the piece you are interested in and we will ask the studio.

Many are, but it depends on the fixture and bulb rather than the category. Fixtures with standard E14 or E27 sockets can usually be dimmed with a compatible bulb and dimmer. Integrated LED pieces are dimmable only if designed to be, and may need a specific driver — worth confirming before purchase, since dimming matters more here than in any other room.

Most take small candelabra or standard screw sockets, commonly E14 or E27 in Europe. Warm LED bulbs between 2200 K and 2700 K suit dining and living spaces; clear or filament-style bulbs suit fixtures where the bulb is visible, while frosted bulbs reduce glare in open, multi-arm designs. Fixtures with integrated LED modules do not take replaceable bulbs.

Switch off the power and let the bulbs cool first. For glass and metal, dust with a dry microfiber cloth and clean elements individually with a barely damp cloth, drying immediately — never spray anything onto the fixture. Painted, plaster, gypsum, textile and horsehair pieces should be dusted dry only, with a soft brush. When in doubt, ask us for the maker's own care instructions; these are handmade objects and finishes vary.

Yes. Pieces ship worldwide directly from the designers' studios, crated appropriately for fragile and oversized work. Lead times depend on the maker, since most chandeliers are produced after ordering — contact us before purchase if you have a fixed installation date.

Yes. Many of the studios represented here work on commission and can scale a design or produce multiples for a project. Architects, interior designers and specifiers can register for our trade programme, or brief the curation team directly with drawings, ceiling heights and quantities.