Selecting the Correct Size Chandelier

A chandelier can greatly change the mood of any room. It is for this reason that selecting the correct size chandelier for your room is very important. Although the decision can be based on purely a personal opinion, there are some guidelines to help you along.

These guidelines are for residential spaces only.

One-story living rooms and bedrooms

• Add the room dimensions in feet and refer to them as inches. For example, if the room is 20 by 20 feet, then add those numbers together to get 40. You should select a chandelier with a minimum 40 inch diameter.
• If your ceiling is high then you can add up to six inches or you can go even bigger if the ceiling is very high.
• If your space is narrow, then do not use this formula. Instead, you should consider two or more smaller chandeliers.

Dining Rooms

• For an 8-foot ceiling install the chandelier 30 inches above the table and about 34 inches for taller ceilings
• Choose a chandelier that has a diameter one-half the width of the table over which it will hang.
• For a banquet-style table in an elongated or oversized dining room, two or more chandeliers will work better than one.
• The height of a chandelier should be about 3 inches per foot of the room’s height. Therefore, an 8-foot ceiling would have a 24 inch high chandelier.

Foyer
The size for an entrance fixture is calculated from the room size of the foyer. It is based off the ceiling size, as in many cases, the foyer is also part of the living room or a stairway.

• The chandelier should be at least 7 feet from the floor. If you would like to hang the chandelier high, then line up the bottom tier of candles with the balcony.
• The width of the fixture should be 1 inch per each foot of the ceiling’s width (measured diagonally).
• The height of a fixture should be at about 3 inches per foot of the room’s height.