How many lamps does a rental with no overhead light need, and what do they cost to run?
Summary
A good working count is one lamp for each place people sit or read, plus one that lights the room as a whole. This site's list turns that into one to three lamps depending on household size. Plug-in pendants hang from a cord that runs to an outlet, so nothing gets wired. Running them costs little. This site estimates 25 to 75 kWh a year, which comes to about $5 to $14 a year at the US average residential price its list uses. Buying them is the large cost, at $190 to $265 per pendant on this site's list.
Start with the places you use after dark
A reading chair, desk and sofa may need light in different places even when they share one room. Start by considering those uses, then decide where a light for the room as a whole would go.
The furnishing list says, "Three lights make a room feel warm." Its household counts are:
| Household | Lamps on this site's list |
|---|---|
| 1 person | 1 |
| 2 people | 2 |
| 3 people | 2 |
| 4+ people | 3 |
Treat these as a starting point rather than a requirement to buy exactly that many lamps. A studio used for reading and work after dark may need a different arrangement from a room used mostly during daylight. The useful question is which seats and work surfaces are still unlit, rather than how many people are on the lease.
Plug-in pendants
A plug-in pendant gets its power from a wall outlet rather than from ceiling wiring. The four plug-in pendants on this site's list are all from Rowabi. Each one hangs from a 180-inch cord with a plug, and 180 ÷ 12 = 15 feet of cord.
| Pendant (Rowabi) | Size | Shade | Price at Rowabi, checked 2026-10-07 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dreamy Palm Pendant | 14 in across, 11 in tall | Hand-woven palm fibre | $190 |
| Lumiere Rattan Pendant | 14 in across, 13 in tall | Handwoven rattan bowl | $200 |
| Le Perle Rattan Pendant | 18 in across, 10 in tall | Rattan | $235 |
| Beatrice Rattan Dome | Sold as 16.5 in; spec line says 17 in across, 15 in tall | Rattan dome | $265 |
The two sizes given for the Beatrice Dome don't match. If the fit over a table or in a corner is tight, plan around the larger 17-inch figure.
For a small table or a corner, the Dreamy Palm and the Lumiere are the narrowest shades on the list at 14 in across, and the Dreamy Palm is also the lowest-priced at $190. The Le Perle is the widest shade here at 18 in across, and Rowabi lists it at $235. Confirm the bulb and light output before choosing it to light the whole room; shade width alone does not establish its coverage.
Where a pendant can hang depends on the cord. Measure from the outlet along the path the cord will take to the height where the shade should sit. If that path is longer than the cord, ask Rowabi about an approved installation arrangement before choosing the pendant.
The hook is the one part that touches the building. Whether a small hole counts against your deposit depends on your lease and your state, and the rules differ from state to state. Before you drill, ask your landlord a specific question in writing: may you install a ceiling hook for a plug-in light, and will it be treated as normal wear when you leave?
Floor and table lamps offer an alternative when you do not want a ceiling hook. They need floor or surface space and a nearby outlet; confirm the seller's price for the model you choose. You can also combine a pendant with lamps beside the seats rather than buying only one type.
What the pendants cost to buy
Most of the money goes to buying the lamps. The table multiplies each household's lamp count by the cheapest and the most expensive pendant on this site's list, at the prices checked at Rowabi on 2026-10-07.
| Household | Lamps | Low (Dreamy Palm) | High (Beatrice Dome) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 1 | 1 × $190 = $190 | 1 × $265 = $265 |
| 2 or 3 people | 2 | 2 × $190 = $380 | 2 × $265 = $530 |
| 4+ people | 3 | 3 × $190 = $570 | 3 × $265 = $795 |
Ask Rowabi which bulb the pendant takes and whether the bulb, ceiling hook and cord clips are included. Confirm the price of anything you need to buy separately before adding up the order. The shade prices above do not establish the complete installed cost. When comparing the running estimate with your own use, check the bulb's wattage and the hours you expect the lights to stay on each evening. Confirm the mounting instructions with Rowabi before choosing a hook or support.
Electricity for the lamps
The running-cost estimate uses two assumptions: an assumed number of kilowatt-hours a year for each household's lamps, and a rate of $0.1834 per kWh, which the list describes as the US average residential price from EIA's Electric Power Monthly table 5.3 for June 2026.
| Household | kWh a year (this site's assumption) | Cost a year (rounded) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 25 | 25 × $0.1834 = about $5 |
| 2 or 3 people | 50 | 50 × $0.1834 = about $9 |
| 4+ people | 75 | 75 × $0.1834 = about $14 |
EIA's table 5.3 showed 18.31 cents per kilowatt-hour when read on 2026-10-23; treat it as a separate reading from the rate used above. At that rate, 75 × $0.1831 = about $14, the same whole-dollar estimate as the table. Your own utility's rate is what counts, so multiply the kWh figure for your household by the rate printed on your bill.
For a corner that has room for a 14-inch shade and the required mounting, compare Rowabi's Dreamy Palm at $190, checked 2026-10-07, before moving to a larger shade. Settle the bulb and cord route with that choice. Buying another pendant to compensate for the wrong position changes the furnishing budget much more than the small difference between the electricity estimates.
Sources
- Cost of Comfort: Apartment furniture list: Lamp (Living Room), prices read at Rowabi 2026-10-07
- U.S. Energy Information Administration: Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.3