A brutalist apartment in Antwerp and a house in rural Virginia feature in our next lookbook, which showcases 10 dining spaces that use sculptural hanging lights as their centrepiece.

Hanging, dropped or suspended ceiling lighting is an easy and popular way to create a focal point and ambience in any room.

These lights are commonly found in two styles: pendants, which hang from a single cord with just one or two bulbs, and chandeliers, which comprise multiple lamps and branches.

The contemporary examples listed below demonstrate how pendants and chandeliers can add flourish to a dining area and create an intimate atmosphere around a dinner table.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing homes with French doors, bedrooms with balconies and bathrooms with statement tiles.

Riverside Tower apartment, Belgium, by Studio Okami Architecten

A black ceramic light plunges down through the double-height dining room of this apartment, which Studio Okami Architecten overhauled for its founder in the brutalist Riverside Tower in Antwerp.

The light's sculptural form, designed by Polish creative Pani Jurek, helps soften the home's exposed concrete shell in tandem with various artworks dotted throughout.

Find out more about Riverside Tower apartment ›

Three Chimney House, USA, by T W Ryan Architecture

The focal point in the dining area of the Three Chimney House in rural Virginia is an ornamental Drop System Chandelier designed by Lindsey Adelman.

It has a mottled brass finish and spherical bulbs that pop out against the wooden furniture below and a white-brick chimney that forms a backdrop to the room.

Find out more about Three Chimney House ›

Red House, Portugal, by Extrastudio

A delicate paper-like shade characterises this pendant light, which hangs from the ceiling in a pared-back house Extrastudio created in an old Portuguese winery.

Its minimalist design complements the airy feel of the home's interior that is achieved with white-painted walls, large windows and a series of skylights.

Find out more about Red House ›

The Cedars, USA, by Michael Yarinsky

The adjustable Shape Up light, designed by Ladies & Gentlemen Studio, anchors the dining area in The Cedars, a house on Long Island by Brooklyn designer Michael Yarinsky.

Resembling a piece of art, the ornate fixture comprises three different-shaped pendants made from mouth-blown glass and metal that hang from cords threaded through pulleys.

Find out more about The Cedars ›

AC Residence, UK, by DeDraft

Three tubular brass branches capped by spherical white bulbs define the Slingshot Chandelier, which architecture studio DeDraft used as a centrepiece in the opulent AC Residence in London.

The light, which is designed by Doozie Light Studio, is teamed with white walls, wooden chairs and a marbled Tulip Table designed by Eero Saarinen for Knoll.

Find out more about AC Residence ›

Walker House, Canada, by Reflect Architecture

Pearlescent glass lamps resembling unravelling ribbons form this chandelier, which Reflect Architecture used in the open-plan kitchen and dining area of a house in Toronto.

The light forms part of Canadian design company Bocci's 87 series and is crafted from hot glass that is pulled, stretched and folded like taffy.

Find out more about Walker House ›

Riverbend, USA, by CLB Architects

This molecular chandelier draws the eye to the dining table of the Riverbend residence, which CLB Architects created near Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park.

Its metal branches are capped with circular glass shades in earthy tones that echo the wooden finishes of the furniture below and the ceiling overhead.

Find out more about Riverbend ›

Haus im Obstgarten, Austria, by Firm Architekten

Haus im Obstgarten features an open-plan kitchen and dining room with simple finishes that draw attention to an ornamental suspended pendant at its centre.

The sculpture-like light, designed by Michael Anastassiades for Italian brand Flos, features three geometric forms that are made from black powder-coated aluminium parts which can be rearranged in various configurations.

Find out more about Haus im Obstgarten ›

Baby Point Residence, Canada, by Batay-Csorba Architects

This draped chandelier is found in the white-walled dining room of a Batay-Csorba Architects-designed house in Toronto.

Named Vitis, the light is designed by US lighting brand RBW and features nylon-wrapped fabric that swoops from the ceiling and supports hand-blown frosted glass lamps.

Find out more about Baby Point Residence ›

Casa Mérida, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy

These inky black pendant lights hang low over the dining table at Casa Mérida, matching the upholstery of the mid-century-style chairs beneath.

Their bold yet minimalist design is a fitting accompaniment to the brutalist form of the Mexican house, which sees exposed concrete used across all of its main volumes.

Find out more about Casa Mérida ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing homes with French doors, bedrooms with balconies and bathrooms with statement tiles.