Generally, I prefer lighting to be recessed, hidden or obscured and I have always thought of pendants as dust collectors.
I have, however, recently come around to pendants for carefully considered purposes. Country houses used to have, what were considered at the time utilitarian yet stunning, pendants comprising twisted silk flex and Holophane glass shades for use in larders, passageways, pantries and laundry rooms.
Some of the Holophane shapes were glorious and can still be found occasionally in architectural salvage yards but at a price. The essence of the Holophane shade is the use of borosilicate glass, formed in ribs so as to create an even up and down light without black spots. Today the available shapes are simpler with coolie or globe being the most common.
There are some modern pendants that echo the past and we feature a few of them in our online store.
Using either LED light sources or tungsten halogen lamps these fittings are an excellent alternative to the traditional pendant but with a touch of modernity.