Chandelier Lighting: How High,How Wide?

Chandeliers are an eye-catching and extravagant type of lighting fixture that can add a touch of elegance to any room. Chandelier lighting makes a bold statement about your home decor so choosing the right chandelier is important.

Before you head off on your shopping spree you might want to give some thought as to how large a chandelier you can have. You need to bear in mind the room dimensions, ceiling height and whether you are hanging the chandelier above a table, or whether your chandelier is to be hung in the hallway. The style and design of the chandelier itself is also a factor for consideration.

Heavy chandeliers,with many lamps can be a touch smaller than guidelines would suggest. Similarly, a chandelier that is less fussy and more simplistic in design, can be a touch wider than recommended.

Shopping for a chandelier is made all the more easier if you have all the measurements to hand. There is nothing worse than falling in love with and buying a light fixture only to bring it home and then find that it doesn't quite look right with its surroundings. Either it's too big for your dining table or looks too small compared to the rest of your room dimensions.

If you are considering buying chandelier lighting to hang above your dining table, the following tips will serve as a rough guide:
- the diameter of your chandelier light should be half the width of your dining table. So if your dining table is round and is 70 inches in diameter, then you would be better off choosing a chandelier that is about 35 inches in diameter at the most. If you have a square or rectangular dining table then take the width of the table and half it. For a rectangular table with dimensions 100 inches long by 70 inches wide, a chandelier with a diameter of 35 inches is ideal.

If you are not buying a chandelier to hang above your dining room table but to hang in your hallway or entrance hall then add the dimensions of the room together and use this as a basis for the diameter you are looking for in the chandelier you buy.

Therefore, if you have a room with dimensions of 16 feet by 14 feet, the proper sized chandelier for your room would be:
14 + 16 = 30 INCHES.

Therefore, 30 inches would be the largest diameter you would consider for a chandelier in that room.

Note: The room dimensions are in feet but the chandelier measurements are in inches.

Once you have determined the ideal size of your chandelier, the next question to resolve is how high up should you hang it? As a rough guide, the height of a chandelier should be about 30 inches above the surface of your table.

You can go even further and determine the correct wattage required in order to light your room adequately. This is also based on room size and notice we are only talking about ambient lighting here (the lighting that will light up the entire room as opposed to task lighting such as that required for reading or knitting).

A basic guideline is:
1. Determine the total square footage
2. Multiply the total square footage by 1.5 for total illumination

Therefore, for an 8 foot by 10 foot room (8' x 10'):
8' x 10' = 80 sq. ft
80 sq. ft x 1.5 = 120 watts

A point to note: this does not mean you have all x watts coming from one area or even one light source! Try to spread the wattage around the room by using a combination of floor lamps, pendants, wall sconces and table lamps. Having a variety of different light fixtures in a room gives it depth and sets different moods throughout.

This is a rough guide only but gives you some pointers to consider and will hopefully make your search for the perfect chandelier an easier one. At the end, it really only comes down to your own personal style and choice and what you think will look best in your surroundings.