How to Choose the Right Chandelier for Your Dining Room

 

Today, we’re talking chandeliers. If turkey is the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving dinner, your chandelier is the centerpiece of your dining room. Luckily, choosing the perfect chandelier is a lot easier than cooking the perfect turkey. Here are four things to consider:

1. Determine Your Lighting Needs

Is your chandelier going to be the only lighting source in your dining room? If so, a fixture with 4 or more bulbs would be best, ensuring you have ample light for both dining and working at the table. Installing a dimmer would be ideal in this case, allowing you to adjust the lighting and the atmosphere in the room.

If you have alternate sources of light in your dining room (such as sconces or floor/table lamps), you can opt for a chandelier with shades or decorative bulbs meant to create a nostalgic glow.

2. Choose Your Style

Your chandelier should make a statement, but you want it to make the right statement. Choosing a traditional chandelier for your modern décor will certainly stand out (but not in a good way). Similarly, an ultra-contemporary fixture would look out of place over your farmhouse style table and chairs. Let your furniture determine the style of your chandelier. Look for a fixture that will stand out while also complementing your décor.

3. Consider Your Dining Table

First, your chandelier should always be centered over your dining table. The only exception being if you are hanging two smaller chandeliers over your table.

The size of your chandelier can vary according to your table size and how dramatic you want your lighting fixture to be.

For a round dining table, look for a fixture anywhere from one-third to two-thirds the size of your dining room table. So for a 60” diameter table, look for a chandelier between 20-40 inches.

For an oval or rectangular table, you can choose a chandelier anywhere between one-half and three-quarters the width of your table.

For the most part, a larger chandelier will make a bolder statement. If you are looking for a chandelier that will be a true focal point, by all means go for a chandelier on the larger end of the range. Just keep in mind that you want a fixture that is at least twelve inches smaller than your table’s width.

4. Find the Right Height

To keep your dining room balanced, make sure your chandelier is not hung too high or too low. Your chandelier should hang 30 to 34 inches above the table. This will keep your dining space intimate and inviting (without blocking anyone’s view). If your ceiling is higher than 8 feet, add about three inches to the hanging height per foot. So, for a 10 foot tall ceiling, your chandelier should be hung 36-40 inches over the table.

Now that you know the basics, you’re ready to choose the perfect chandelier. Check out our latest indoor light fixtures. To get you started, we’ve picked some of our favorites:

                       

                     

Clockwise from top left: Lenola, Isadora, Iron Hill, Hansen