How To: Chandelier Selection and Hanging Tips

During one recent phone conversation with our son he asked me for my professional advice in regards to chandelier selection and hanging tips.  The newlyweds are moving into a new house, and it’s all things house that make a new home question and answer time.  The internet is a wonderful means for viewing properties and decorating consultations, keeping me and Dave the Builder in the loop.  As much as I would love to hop a flight to Manitoba once a month, this thing called everyday life in Louisiana gets in the way.

The nerve.

frogbox

The big move is less than a week away, and the activities that comes with packing up one house to move to another lead our conversations.  Frogbox delivered boxes today (great concept) and now the real fun begins.

dining-crystal-chandelier

The existing Bohemian glass overlay dining room chandelier, lovely as it is, is not a mix or a match with or to the taste of the new residents.  Keep scale and proportion in mind.  The dining room has an 8 foot chandelier height, so I suggest hanging the new orb chandelier in an approximate range of 30 to 34 inches over the dining table.  When I’m styling a coffee table, I sit down on the sofa in order to establish the primary sight line.  Same theory works here.  Take a seat at the table and establish the sight line.  The installed fixture should in no way interfere with the dining experience nor hinder eye contact between diners.

chandelier selection and hanging tips

Chandelier Selection and Hanging Tips

Width:

To determine the proper width and height of a chandelier for the room, simple math enters into the picture.  For the chandelier width, measure the length of the room in feet.  Now measure the width of the room in feet.  Add those two numbers together.  Convert that number to inches.  The result is the number for the width (diameter) in inches for your chandelier .

LENGTH + WIDTH =   CHANDELIER WIDTH
       (in feet)                             (in inches)

 

For example:

Dining room measures 10′ x 12′.

10 + 12 = 22

Select a 22 inch wide chandelier.

Quick Tips:

For a room 10′ x 10′ or smaller, your fixture should be 17 to 20 inches wide.

For a room approximately 12′ x 12′ in size,  select a fixture in the 22 to 27 inches wide range.

For a room approximately 14′ x 14′ in size,  select a fixture in the 24 to 32 inches wide range.

Height:

To determine the chandelier height, measure the height of the room from floor to ceiling.  Multiply room height number X 3 to get the recommended measurement in inches.

ROOM HEIGHT  x 3 =   CHANDELIER HEIGHT
(in feet)                               (in inches)

 

dining-room-chandelier

Hanging Height:

Working with an 8 foot ceiling height, you will want to position the bottom of the chandelier 32-34 inches above the tabletop.

tape-measure

If your ceiling is higher than 8 feet, mount the chandelier an additional 3 inches higher for each foot of ceiling.

green-ribbon-trim-linen-drum-pendant-ghost-dining-chairs-wine-fridge

Terracotta Studio

With a pendant chandelier, position the fixture 30 to 34 inches above the tabletop.

pendant-lights-over-kitchen-island

Style at Home ~ DecorPad

For lighting fixture placement over a kitchen island, hang the fixture at a height of 32-34 inches from the top of the counter to the bottom of the light.

beach-style-entry

Norman Design Group, Inc. 

For optimum light love presence in a foyer with a 9-10 foot ceiling height,  hang the chandelier so the bottom sits at least 7 feet above the floor.  In a two-story foyer, hang the chandelier at eye level when viewed from the second floor.

traditional-staircase

Crisp Architects

Advice and suggestions are meant to make the all things house that make a home process easier.  I hope these chandelier selection and hanging tips help to answer the what size is best and how high to hang questions you may have.

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