Where to put them. They're most commonly seen above kitchen islands, but pendants pop up in every room of the home. They can define the space above a breakfast bar, take the place of reading lamps in a bedroom, extend into a foyer or stand in for sconces in a bathroom. Pendants are often grouped in odd numbers — a single drum shade over a dining table, three slim lights over a kitchen island — for visual appeal. However, it's more important to tailor the number to your space. If a kitchen peninsula has room for only two well-placed fixtures above it, that's better than cramming in three just for the sake of design maxims.