When it comes to luxurious lighting, there’s nothing that compares to a stunning chandelier. If you’re thinking of installing chandeliers in your home, it’s important to choose a style and size that works well for various applications. From your dining room to the living room or your bedroom, selecting the right size chandelier can make quite a difference in a home’s design and functionality. Read on for a helpful chandelier sizing guide, so you can choose the perfect options for your abode.
Chandelier Sizing Guide: Basic Width and Height
Photo Courtesy of: Brit Arnesen | @britdotdesign | Photo Features: Stella Chandelier
Whether it’s spiral & pivot or Sputnik, the overall width and height of your chandelier matter. Start by recording the measurements of the room’s length and width in feet. Add those two numbers together and use this total sum as a guide when choosing the width in inches for a specific chandelier. For instance, if your room is 8’ x 10’, the total of these two numbers is 18. Therefore, your chandelier should be approximately 18 inches in width. While the width is important, the height of your new chandelier is equally as vital.
Overall, you should have approximately three inches for every foot of space between the floor and the ceiling. To determine this number, simply multiply the height of your ceiling in feet by the number three. If you have eight-foot-tall ceilings, the chandelier should be around 24 inches tall. While these calculations aren’t required, they can make it much easier to ensure that your chandelier is a good width and height in relation to the overall size of the room where you plan to install it.
Choosing a Chandelier for the Dining Room
Photo Courtesy of: Kat MacInnes | Photo Features: Camille Chandelier
A gorgeous single tier chandelier looks stunning when installed over your dining room table. It’s important to determine where you plan to place the fixture and at what height you want it to hang. If you mount the chandelier too low, it can impede the flow of foot traffic and could cause your guests to bump their heads on the light above. If the chandelier is too high up, the light output might not be bright enough. When you look at the size of chandelier for dining table, the bottom should hang approximately 30 to 36 inches above the table. Mount it directly above the middle of the table, and not in the middle of the room. Most dining spaces with a sideboard or buffet likely have the table a bit off-center. If you install the chandelier in the middle of the room, it can cause things to look off-balance, so always use the placement of your table as a guide.
When choosing a chandelier size for round table, you may want to keep the design as simple as possible. For example, a drum chandelier tends to have a smaller footprint than a linear design. Look at several options to determine which one will work best over your dining room table. A gorgeous single tier or multi tier fixture will add elegance, and it’s a great chandelier size for round table. If your dining room table is rectangular, larger or longer options work well in this space. Try a gorgeous elongated linear chandelier if your dining table is rectangular since it will illuminate a larger area below. When choosing a chandelier size over dining table, always make sure that it’s not larger than the table itself, or else the setup will look awkward. Ideally, your chandelier should direct the light downward to the center of the table, and it should never be too wide or long. Try to find a fixture that’s at least 12 inches narrower than the width of your table so your guests don’t accidentally bump their heads on the chandelier above.
Entryways and Living Spaces
When installing a chandelier in your home’s entryway or living room, it’s important to ensure that you have plenty of clearance between the bottom of the fixture and the floor. We recommend about seven feet of clearance in this chandelier sizing guide, but you can hang it higher if your foyer or living room has ceilings taller than eight feet. Mount the light approximately three inches higher for every foot over eight feet to keep it nice and high for a grand entrance. A stunning spiral & pivot chandelier looks gorgeous in an entryway and really makes a bold, modern statement. These chandeliers should be installed in the middle of your entryway whenever possible. However, if the foyer is larger and open, you can also place it directly over a round accent or console table for a nice touch.
In the living room, install your new chandelier over the coffee table. This will help to create a focal point and make it easier to see whether you’re entertaining guests or simply participating in your normal day-to-day activities. Choose a statement piece in the living room, such as a bold and dramatic cascading chandelier. The multiple tiers of material or shades will add depth and dimension to the living space. A modern sphere chandelier is an excellent choice for sleek and contemporary living rooms.
These fixtures also have a more compact size, making them a good choice for smaller living rooms since they won’t overtake the area and make it feel crowded. It’s best to get the dimensions of several different chandeliers, whether it’s a sphere, Sputnik, spiral & pivot, or cascading design. This will make it easier to determine which style will fit nicely into its newly designated space.
Chandelier Sizing Guide: The Bedroom
Photo Courtesy of: Alanna Dunn, @alannadunn | Photo: Justine Milton, @miltonphoto | Photo Features: Paige Chandelier
The size of a chandelier in your bedroom largely depends on its placement. If you’re installing it in the center of the room, it will most likely hang over the foot of your bed. Use the instructions above to measure the length and width of your bedroom, then add the two numbers together to determine the number of inches or the diameter of your new chandelier for a perfect fit. If you’re planning to hang the light over the bed, make sure it fits in proportion to the bed’s size. You don’t want to install an extremely large chandelier over a full or queen-size bed since it can overwhelm the furniture. A mini chandelier works well in this case, while something larger and more dramatic works beautifully over a king-size bed.
Photo Courtesy of: Wendy Lau | Photo Features: Patti Sconce
Keep in mind that chandeliers are used for more decorative purposes in your bedroom. If you need additional light, install a matching pair of wall sconces next to your bed, or use a pair of coordinating table lamps to get additional task lighting in the space. Layering lighting in the bedroom also makes the space feel warm and cozy. When it comes to elegance, a pear shape chandelier is an excellent lighting choice for bedrooms. This sophisticated silhouette will give your bedroom a luxe, glamorous touch without being too showy. Explore a range of pear shape chandeliers at Meadow Blu that will be a perfect companion for your master suite or guest room. They add a refined component to the room while giving it a touch of classic luxury.
Chandeliers for a Kitchen Island
While pendant lights are a popular choice for kitchen islands, chandeliers can really add the “wow” factor to your cooking space. Make sure that the bottom of the chandelier is at least 30 to 36 inches above the countertop or island surface. Center the fixture in the middle of the island for the best fit, similar to how you’d hang it above a dining room table. A linear chandelier should be long enough to illuminate the entire island with a single fixture. However, if you plan to install several smaller or mini-sized chandeliers rather than a single large one, try to place them approximately 30 inches apart from each other. Install them along the center line of the island. If you’re installing three lights, center one above the middle of the island first, then add one on each side at about 30 inches apart from the center for the perfect fit and distance. In most cases, you won’t need more than three individual lights unless your island is exceptionally large.
A lantern chandelier can add timeless appeal to a kitchen or dining space. These beautiful fixtures lend your home a classic look, but you can also find them made of modern materials and new finishes for a slightly updated touch. Lantern chandeliers will bring a warm, inviting touch to your kitchen without making the room feel cluttered, too. Bowl chandeliers also add sophistication to a kitchen and also look appealing in bedrooms, home offices, and living spaces. Regardless of the design, use the tips in this chandelier sizing guide to help you find the perfect fit for every room. With the right size, placement, and style, it’s easy to upgrade your lighting to make every room look more appealing and improve functionality. Shop the latest selection of chandeliers, pendants, sconces, lamps, and more from Meadow Blu to find the ultimate lighting options for your modern space.
