Los Alamitos, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/02/2014 --Lamps-Lighting Home announced this quarter that the company is making pendant lighting available nationwide on its website, Lamps-LightingHome.com.

From Pinterest to international design blogs, pendant lighting is being heralded as the hot new lighting trend. Pendant lighting brings the sophistication and flare of sleek European design into a home, office, restaurant or retail setting.

Also referred to in the industry as drop or suspended lights, pendants provide diffuse or focused lighting from above. The company's pendants feature long cylinders or custom designed glass fixtures that are suspended from the rafters, floating over the area. Not only do they bring an unexpected design element with an almost floating illumination, the way the light falls to the table or floor is truly unique. Some pendants allow for the focus and hotness of a small spot light, pouring bright illumination onto a single space. Others create a more diffuse lighting scheme, throwing small puddles of light across the surface.

Most often used in multiples, pendants make a great choice over bars, counters, and the like. They tend to have a high suspension about the illuminated surface, unlike a billiard or island light, which has a longer fixture. The kitchen is an ideal place for the versatility of suspended fixtures. Putting pendants on a dimmer allows for even more flexibility in the lighting design.

The company's shades are also available in a staggering variety of materials—from hand-blown glass, to recycled paper, to concrete— to suit any design aesthetic. Recent innovations in pendant lighting include designs like the Flachmann pendant lamp, which places the shade on only one side of the bulb, allowing the illumination pattern to flow downward, upward, and horizontally. This kind of forward thinking design trend can negate the oft-held belief among designers that pendant lighting leaves too many downward-facing shadows. Other shade choices, like the new trend of recycled newsprint, or studded vellum, also debunk the shadow myth by providing a diffuse light pattern.