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How to Select the Right Size Chandelier

Measure twice buy once. Learn how to properly size a chandelier for your home.

Choosing the right fixture for your home can be a daunting task. And while you may find a style that you like and the aesthetic you are going for, purchasing the light only to find that it doesn’t match your room or is too big for your space can be a real disappointment.

We’re here to help you solve that problem. Making sure that your lighting choice checks all the right boxes is part of what makes your house special and unique to you. Compliment your home with the perfect choice of lighting fixture by following our easy to use guide on how to size a fixture for your room.

Technical

If you’re choosing a chandelier for your home, there is a very simple formula to keep in mind. And that’s this: the length of your room plus the width of the room converted to inches should be the diameter of your fixture.
Did we lose you? That’s okay, look at it this way:

Let’s say your room is 10′ x 20′:

10′ + 20′ = 30′

Take 30′ and replace it with inches. Don’t convert it, just replace it. So you get:

10″ + 20″ = 30″

In order to properly size a chandelier for your room, the ideal size in this scenario would be a 30” diameter chandelier. This makes sure that you have the proper size without overdoing it in your room. While a chandelier is usually a point of focus within your room, the goal is to not have it be the only focus in the room, so sizing is critical. Remember: it’s always better to go a bit smaller if you aren’t sure about the size. Going too large can often be distracting if you didn’t size the fixture to the room properly.

So you’ve figured out your perfect size fixture, but we aren’t done yet! You also need to make sure that you hang it the proper distance from the ceiling depending on where it is in your house or room. Don’t worry, we don’t have to do any (basic) math this time around. There are only two principals that you need to remember. If your chandelier is hanging over a table, you should have about 30” of clearance from the bottom of the chandelier to the top of the table. If you’re hanging it from the ceiling above the floor, you should have about 7ft of clearance from the bottom of the fixture to the floor. Simple, right?

Stylistic

Hopefully by now you should have a solid understanding about what it takes to choose the right size lighting fixture or chandelier for any room in your home. Now it’s up to you to decide what style of lighting you want to get.

As a general rule of thumb, we like to tell our customers that they should be choosing a style of lighting that best suits the aesthetic direction of their room or house as a whole rather than on a specific light they happen to like. There are several different styles of lighting options available to you.

When it comes to specialty lighting such as chandeliers, they typically fall into a few different categories: Modern Contemporary Chandeliers have that sleeker, more modern industrial look that would perfectly compliment a modern kitchen with a minimalist design approach. On the other end of the spectrum is our Traditional Style Chandeliers and Rustic Chandeliers which invoke a sense of that older sophistication that would go perfectly in a room that’s focused on a more Victorian-era design approach.

Why 1-800lighting?

We pride ourselves on being experts in our field. We’ve been mainstays in the industry for over 90 years, and we put our expertise to work for our customers every day. Your house deserves the best; make sure it gets exactly that by visiting either our virtual showroom or any one of our physical locations.

From ultra-modern lighting to the most rustic, old-style fixtures, we guarantee we’ll have something that you’re looking for. If you need help, you can always contact 1800Lighting and we’ll be more than happy to do what we can to get you started on your home rejuvenation.

PRO TIP: While a chandelier is usually a point of focus within your room; the goal is to not have it be the only focus in the room, so sizing is critical. Remember; it’s always better to go a bit smaller if you aren’t sure about the size. Going too large can often be distracting if you didn’t size the fixture to the room properly.

Best Selling Chandeliers

Brighten your dining room, living room or entryway with one of our best selling chandeliers. Perfect above a dining room table or suspended in any entryway, these chandeliers make for a beautiful centerpiece.

  1. Pearson 60 Inch 20 Light Chandelier by Capital Lighting Fixture Company

    Pearson 60 Inch 20 Light Chandelier by Capital Lighting Fixture Company

  2. Julie Neill Talia 33 Inch 8 Light Chandelier by Visual Comfort and Co.

    Julie Neill Talia 33 Inch 8 Light Chandelier by Visual Comfort and Co.

  3. Jayna 25 Inch 4 Light Chandelier by Crystorama

    Jayna 25 Inch 4 Light Chandelier by Crystorama

  4. Thomas O’Brien Piaf 58 Inch 6 Light Chandelier by Visual Comfort and Co.

    Thomas O'Brien Piaf 58 Inch 6 Light Chandelier by Visual Comfort and Co.