Chandelier Design and Buying Guide

Chandeliers beautify your space like jewelry for your room. They glimmer, they enhance, and they’re meant to stand out. With shapes ranging from round to rectangular, the options are plentiful. But how do you pick the perfect one for your room? Here are some essential tips to guide you.

When selecting a chandelier, consider its shape, hanging height, and light quality. Firstly, measure your room dimensions to estimate the appropriate size for your fixture.

Size
Don't worry, the formula is straightforward. Add the dimensions of your room (in feet) to determine the minimum diameter (in inches) for your chandelier. For example, if your dining room measures 12’ x 14’, add 12 and 14 to get 26. A chandelier with a 26” diameter would be the minimum size needed to make a statement in the room. For a linear chandelier, the length should be between one-third and one-half the length of the table. With the size figured out, it's time to decide on the right shape for your space.

Shape
Chandeliers typically come in round, square, or rectangular shapes. Round and square chandeliers are timeless and have adorned rooms since the era of candelabras. When using a round or square chandelier, consider your ceiling height. Taller ceilings benefit from elongated shapes that fill more vertical space. Another increasingly popular option is the oval chandelier. Oval chandeliers are generally wider in the middle compared to linear models, making them a great choice for rooms with higher ceilings.

 

Hanging Height

If you’re putting a chandelier over a table or breakfast nook, make sure the bottom of the round or square chandelier is 30” from the top of the surface. For wider tables, or taller ceilings, it might help to increase that height about 3” to 6”. Due to their larger central mass, rectangular chandeliers can be hung higher to shine their brightest. 

If you’re not hanging over a table, but rather in a foyer or great room, the bottom of the chandelier should be a minimum of 7' from the floor. In two-story foyers, many people prefer to center the chandelier in a window if one is available. In a tall ceiling, 1 story foyers, or 1.5 story foyers, remember that a chandelier can be hung with no chain or stem, just be sure the 7’ minimum from the floor is met so guests can walk under the chandelier rather than through it.

Light Quantity

Like selecting the size of a chandelier, there is information to guide you in the amount of illumination needed in a room. With the dominance of LED as a light source, we now measure light in lumens. The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) has recommendations for each room in a home, based on desired brightness levels. For a dining room, the IES suggests between 10 and 20 foot-candles of measured light. The formula uses that number multiplied by room area. In our example, a 12 x 15 room = 180 x 10 foot-candles = 1800, or for more illumination 180 x 20 = 3600. That means the dining room should have a chandelier that provides between 1800 and 3600 lumens. Contact us for more info on light quality and color temperature. 

Now that you know how to add sparks of beauty in all the right ways, you can let your chandelier shine and light your home while enhancing the look of your space.

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