Chandelier Sizing Rules | Design Tip

Chandeliers are an important design element in the home that bring both fashion and function to a space. Lighting defines and accentuates the ambiance you want to create in your home by creating either a soft and relaxing space, or a bright and productive space. Just like colors, the lighting you choose for a space can drastically affect the way you feel, see, and perform tasks in a room.

Once you decide where you would like to hang a chandelier, you will need to determine the size you need, how to hang it, and what style will fit your decor. Here are a few hints to help you choose the perfect chandelier:

Size

If you are hanging a chandelier in the center of a room, like the entryway or foyer, the best way to determine size is to add the length of the room and the width together, change that number into inches, and that gives you the maximum diameter for your chandelier.
For example, if your space is 10′ long by 16′ wide, add those together for 26′, and change that to inches – that gives you a maximum diameter chandelier of 26″.

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To determine the best size chandelier to place above your dining table, take the width of your table and subtract 12″ – that gives you the maximum width for your chandelier.
For example, if your table is 72″ long x 40″ wide, subtracting 12″ from 40″ gives you a maximum width of 28″ for your chandelier.

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Hanging

If the chandelier is suspended in the center of a room, like the foyer or living room, than you want the base of your chandelier to be no less than 7 feet from the floor. This allows ample height for walking without interfering with head room.

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If the chandelier is suspended over a dining table or kitchen island, than you want to allow 30″ – 36″ from the surface of the table to the base of the chandelier. This allows ample room to see across the table without your line of vision being interrupted by the lighting fixture.

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