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Paper pendants are some of the most versatile light fixtures there are. They can look just at home in a rustic farmhouse or Georgian manor as a modern bungalow or minimalist studio. Ethereal yet grounding, they come in sizes and shapes all across the map. Plus, there’s so much variety in price. Whether you’re in the market for a budget-friendly buy from Pearl River Mart, something mid-range from Hay, or an investment like Noguchi’s Akari designs, we rounded up our favorites below.
Hay Paper Pendants
A contemporary classic that has a price right in the sweet spot between budget and high-end, Hay’s rice paper shade is supported by a bamboo frame and comes in four different sizes.
Pearl River Mart Paper Lantern
Pearl River Mart’s paper lantern, available in 14 different sizes, looks way more expensive in writer Lily Sullivan’s apartment than it is. All but two of those are less than $30, including a whopping 36-inch fixture. Psst: the brand has several different shapes, too.
Made by Hand Pendant Lamp
Urban Natural stocks nearly 20 different lighting brands, including Danish Made by Hand’s paper styles, designed by Nina Bruun (one of which is featured in the image above). Each one comes with a hardwired, fabric-covered cord set, but the bulb socket is compatible with plug-in options, too.
Henjjras Oblate Pedant
This highly-rated Amazon buy is just $30, constructed of paper and steel, and is easy to install, according to its reviews. Customers also comment that the brightness of the shade is perfect and that “it adds a nice touch to our room and adds a warm, cozy ambiance.”
Noguchi Akari Pendants
If you’re ready to invest in a piece that’ll last a lifetime, and serve double duty as artwork, choose an Akari light sculpture originally designed by artist Isamu Noguchi. Since 1951, these pieces have been manufactured at Ozeki & Co. in Gifu, Japan.
Ingo Maurer Floatation Suspension Pendant
A 1980s touchstone of lighting design, Ingo Maurer’s Floatation Suspension consists of three handmade Japanese paper shades and a red iron ring that acts as a counterweight for height adjustment. This heirloom-worthy fixture is a dining room or living room statement piece.
Methedeeco White Paper Pendants
Get two pendants for the price of one here—this set of two clocks in at less than $40 when it’s not on sale. The pair, with one oval and one UFO shape, are great hung together or split up in two different spots.
AllModern Guilana Pendant
This dimmable pendant comes in four different sizes, has an adjustable height, and even comes with a sloped ceiling adapter. Pick up a few and hang them together to create a cluster, but do so carefully: like other styles here, this one is fragile to handle.
West Elm Mooney Pendant
The unique shape of this West Elm light is perfectly suited for a dining table, and mixed materials like a diffusing shade, wood, and dark bronze-finished metal accents. It comes in two sizes (both under $200) and is contract-grade, so you know it’s durable.
&Tradition Formakami JH Pendants
Spanish artist and designer Jamie Hayon dreamt up these pendants for Danish brand &Tradition, allowing their bases to be open and incorporating another wood veneer ring in the middle. The unique silhouettes are serious conversation starters.
Paper Pendants As Seen in Domino Home Tours
Peek inside a few homes where we’ve seen the paper pendant lights featured above.
