Flying Book Pendant Light

This pendant is shaped like an open book caught mid-flight, pages spread, hanging from the ceiling as though it had just taken off from a shelf. It is a piece of visual wit rather than a conventional fitting, and whether that appeals is the main thing to decide before buying. What keeps it from being merely a novelty is the restraint of the execution: the form is clean, the surfaces are plain and unadorned, and there is no fussy detailing anywhere on it, so the fitting reads as a modern sculptural object rather than as a gimmick that will wear thin within a month. The shade is moulded PVC, which diffuses light softly rather than casting hard edges, so what actually reaches the room is warm and evenly spread rather than sharply defined. Practically, PVC is also very light for a fitting of this size, which makes a 30 centimetre wide pendant hang from a standard ceiling fitting without any of the anchoring anxiety a metal or glass shade of the same dimensions would create. Iron supplies the internal structure and the fittings, giving the shade something rigid to hold its shape around so the pages keep their spread over time rather than sagging.

At 30 centimetres wide by 20 tall it is a moderately sized fitting rather than a large one, which suits how it is best used. This is a fitting for one specific spot rather than a general room light, and it works best where it is the only thing competing for attention: above a reading chair, over a desk in a study, in a bedroom corner, over a café table, or in a child's or teenager's room where the shape genuinely delights. Hung over a dining table it can certainly work, though the visual idea tends to be more effective somewhere it is come across occasionally rather than sat directly beneath three times a day. Five colours are available, in blue, pink, yellow, black and white. Black and white are the restrained choices that let the silhouette do all the work on its own, and the shape alone is distinctive enough that it really does not need colour to be noticed in a room. Blue, pink and yellow lean into the playfulness and suit a child's room or a creative studio, where the whole point is that the room does not take itself too seriously. As a gift for a reader it lands particularly well, for reasons that need no explaining.

The fitting takes one E26 bulb, which is not included, and it will accept LED, incandescent or fluorescent. That choice is genuinely yours to make and worth a moment's thought: a warm LED around 2700K gives the relaxed glow that suits a reading corner or a bedroom, while something brighter suits a study desk. LED is the sensible default for both running cost and heat, and heat is worth considering with a PVC shade in particular, since LEDs run far cooler than incandescent bulbs do and PVC is not a material you want sitting close to a hot filament for hours. The cord runs to 150 centimetres and is adjustable, so set the drop at installation rather than accepting it as it comes. One specification worth noting plainly: this fitting is not waterproof and is rated for dry indoor use only, so a bathroom, a covered porch or anywhere exposed to damp is unsuitable. It runs on either 110 to 120 or 220 to 240 volts, and installation is a hardwired ceiling connection, which is a job for an electrician unless you are genuinely confident with mains wiring. Setting the drop correctly while the fitting is up saves taking the whole thing down again later.

• Design: Open book form, PVC shade with iron fittings
• Dimensions: 30 cm wide x 20 cm high
• Bulb: 1 x E26 - NOT included (LED, incandescent or fluorescent)
• Voltage: 110-120V or 220-240V
• Cord: 150 cm, adjustable
• Colours: Blue, Pink, Yellow, Black, White
• NOT waterproof - dry indoor use only
• Mounting: Hardwired ceiling pendant

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