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Selection · 2026 Edition
Ten pendant lights that define a room, from Scandinavian to Milanese design
Ten designer pendant lights selected for their suitability over a table, in a living room, or in a double-height space: Louis Poulsen, Artemide, Tom Dixon, and Oluce make up this 2026 selection. Prices range from €894 (Melt) to €9,525 (PH Artichoke). Four pieces are based on Poul Henningsen's PH system, which prevents any light source from being visible while seated; the others feature blown glass, brass, or metallized polymer. The comparison below cross-references material, price, and usage; the following section details the three schools of thought that structure this production.
A pendant light should be chosen first by room and ceiling height, before the brand or the price. This is the criterion that organizes this selection.
Our Selection
Louis Poulsen · Poul Henningsen, 1958 · Lacquered metal. The three-shade system, featuring its original red and blue reflectors, eliminates all direct glare. The number 5 refers to the 50 cm diameter of the shade, not the number of screens. The entire piece is built around one principle: no light source should be visible from a seated position.
Tom Dixon · Blow-molded polycarbonate, vacuum metallized. The Melt captures and distorts reflections of its environment, creating a liquid mirror effect in constant motion. Launched at the 2015 Salone, its appearance changes according to the time of day and its surroundings. A sculptural and luminous piece, available in several diameters.
Artemide · Neil Poulton, 2017 · Technopolymer. The disc derives its honeycomb grid from an algorithm applied to a photograph of the Moon. The material is not decorative; it serves the way light is diffused. Its sleek circular shape adapts to both contemporary and classic settings, and it illuminates the room with softness.
Artemide · Neri & Hu · Brushed brass and blown opal glass. The body is made of brushed brass; only the heads are opal glass spheres that house the light source. Yanzi means swallow in Mandarin, and the piece owes its name to its flight-like silhouette. Its organic and asymmetrical shape makes it one of the most identifiable pieces in the contemporary Artemide catalog.
Louis Poulsen · Poul Henningsen, 1958 · Lacquered metal. Eight shades arranged in a spiral, with no source visible from any angle. The PH snowball takes the PH system to its ultimate conclusion: a sphere of soft, enveloping light, without cast shadows or glare.
Oluce · Vico Magistretti, 1976 · Blow-molded PMMA. A hemispherical dome, white on the outside and gold on the inside. This golden interior is the very optical principle of the piece: the source is sheltered within the dome, its light reflected against the golden surface and then redistributed downwards in a warm tone. A shape reduced to its essence, whose entire effect relies on a surface you do not see.
Artemide · Carlo Colombo · Metal and mouth-blown glass. Presented at the 2023 Salone, released in 2024. The diffusers feature a wavy edge ground at the ridges, alternating between transparent and opal bands: here, the glasswork functions as an optical organ. Its modular geometry covers large areas while maintaining strict formal coherence.
Tom Dixon · Blow-molded polycarbonate, smoked gold. Chandelier version of the Melt: four irregular spheres coated via vacuum metallization with a semi-mirrored film, suspended from a gold-plated polished steel frame. The Melt principle transposed to the scale of large volumes, for spaces that fully embrace their decorative ambition.
Louis Poulsen · Poul Henningsen, 1926 PH system · Mouth-blown glass. Three screens are layered according to the principle that founded the system: each surface picks up the light from the previous one and redistributes it downwards, so that illumination is established without glare. Diameter 285 mm. Released for the centenary of the PH system, 1926 to 2026.
Louis Poulsen · Poul Henningsen, 1958 · Lacquered metal. Seventy-two leaves arranged in twelve rows of six, each leaf masking the light source from any angle. Designed for the Langelinie Pavilion in Copenhagen, it remains the most iconic piece from the brand, sixty-eight years after its creation.
Comparatif
Quatre maisons, dix partis pris de lumière. Ce tableau résume la matière, le prix et la pièce idéale de chaque suspension de la sélection.
| Modèle | Marque | Matière | Prix | Pièce idéale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PH 5 | Louis Poulsen | Métal laqué | 1 020 € | Salle à manger |
| Melt | Tom Dixon | Polycarbonate métallisé | 894 à 1 326 € | Salon, table |
| Calipso | Artemide | Technopolymère | 1 260 € | Salon, entrée |
| Yanzi | Artemide | Laiton brossé, verre opalin | 1 700 € | Salon, chambre |
| PH snowball | Louis Poulsen | Métal laqué blanc | 2 820 € | Salon, séjour |
| Sonora | Oluce | PMMA soufflé, intérieur or | 2 998 € | Salon, salle à manger |
| Zephyr hexagonal | Artemide | Métal, verre soufflé bouche | 3 750 € | Loft, double hauteur |
| Melt chandelier | Tom Dixon | Polycarbonate métallisé | 4 446 € | Grand volume, réception |
| PH 3/3 Centenary Edition | Louis Poulsen | Verre soufflé bouche | 1 610 € | Salle à manger, salon |
| PH artichoke | Louis Poulsen | Métal laqué | 7 800 à 9 525 € | Salle à manger, hôtel |
Artemide and Oluce share a founding postulate: light is a material to be sculpted. The form is born from an optical intention, never from added decoration.
Each piece is born from a precise formal intention. The Calipso derives its honeycomb grid from an algorithm applied to a photograph of the Moon. The hexagonal Zephyr uses mouth-blown glass as an optical organ, its ground, wavy edge alternating between transparent and opaline bands.
Vico Magistretti designed the Sonora in 1976 as an everyday object elevated to the dignity of design. Its blown PMMA dome is white on the outside and gold on the inside: the light is reflected against the gold surface and then redistributed downwards in a warm tone. The entire effect relies on a surface that is hidden from view.
A single principle, held since 1926: no light source must be visible from a seated position. Everything else follows from this.
The three-shade system still carries it in the 1958 PH 5 as well as in the PH 3/3 Centenary Edition, released for the centennial. Each screen takes the light from the previous one and redistributes it downwards. A useful bit of precision, because errors are common: the "5" in PH 5 does not designate a number of screens but the 50 cm diameter of the main shade.
The PH Snowball pushes the system to its culmination with eight spiral shades: a sphere of soft light, with no cast shadows from any angle. The Artichoke, seventy-two leaves in twelve rows of six, represents its formal peak. Designed for the Langelinie Pavilion in Copenhagen, it remains the house's most iconic piece.
Tom Dixon works with light as a sculptor works with material: the surface matters as much as the source.
Launched at the 2015 Salone, the Melt uses vacuum metallization to transform a sphere of blown polycarbonate into a liquid mirror that captures and distorts its environment. The piece changes appearance depending on the time of day and its surroundings.
The Melt chandelier transposes this principle to large volumes: four irregular spheres in smoked gold, suspended from a gold-plated polished steel frame, arranged in a constellation. For spaces that embrace their decorative ambition.
The right pendant light depends less on taste than on space. Two situations cover the majority of cases.
The bottom of the fixture should be 70 to 80 cm above the tabletop, with a diameter between 40 and 60 cm for a standard table. The PH 5 remains the benchmark for its total lack of glare and allows for hanging as low as 65 cm. The PH 3/3 Centenary Edition applies the same principle in mouth-blown glass. For large dining tables, the PH Artichoke is the obvious choice.
The Calipso lights gently and is suitable for an entryway; the Yanzi provides an identifiable form, even in a bedroom. In a double-height space, the hexagonal Zephyr covers large areas without breaking formal coherence, and a cluster composition is often more appropriate than a single oversized piece. The power track should be planned during the electrical installation.
Quiz
Quelle suspension design est faite pour vous ?
Quatre questions, trente secondes, et la pièce qui correspond à votre espace.
Votre suspension, elle va où ?
FAQ
La salle à manger appelle une suspension à lumière directe, centrée sur la table, avec un diamètre compris entre 40 et 60 cm pour une table standard. La PH 5 de Louis Poulsen (1 020 €) reste la référence pour son absence totale d'éblouissement, même à hauteur des yeux. La PH 3/3 Centenary Edition (1 610 €) applique le même principe optique avec trois écrans en verre soufflé bouche. Pour les grandes tablées, la PH artichoke (à partir de 7 800 €) impose une présence visuelle et lumineuse sans équivalent.
La règle la plus répandue situe le bas du luminaire à 70 à 80 cm au-dessus du plateau. Cette hauteur garantit un éclairage efficace sur les assiettes sans gêner les échanges visuels entre convives. Pour la PH 5, dont les écrans éliminent l'éblouissement à toute hauteur, on peut descendre légèrement à 65 cm.
Trois directions dominent. Le polycarbonate métallisé, illustré par la Melt de Tom Dixon, pour son effet de miroir liquide qui dialogue avec l'environnement. Les formes organiques asymétriques, comme la Yanzi d'Artemide signée Neri & Hu. Et la géométrie architecturale modulaire, portée par le Zephyr hexagonal, qui répond à la demande pour des pièces capables de structurer visuellement les grands volumes.
Oui, la composition en grappe est l'une des solutions les plus efficaces pour les grands volumes ou les tables de réception. Elle consiste à suspendre plusieurs luminaires à des hauteurs légèrement différentes, avec le même modèle pour un effet répétitif structuré, ou des pièces de la même famille formelle. La Melt se prête particulièrement bien à cet exercice en trio. Il convient de prévoir un rail d'alimentation adapté dès la phase d'installation électrique.
Le segment s'étend de 894 € à 9 525 € pour les pièces des grandes maisons. La Melt (à partir de 894 €) ouvre la sélection. La fourchette médiane, entre 1 000 et 3 000 €, couvre la majorité des références : PH 5 (1 020 €), Calipso (1 260 €), PH 3/3 Centenary Edition (1 610 €), Yanzi (1 700 €), PH snowball (2 820 €) et Sonora (2 998 €). Au delà de 3 750 €, les pièces de collection entrent en jeu.
