by Shelly Mcrae

Created on: June 17, 2009   Last Updated: November 17, 2011

Chandeliers add drama to a room. They float in the midst of a beautifully appointed room, casting a warm and inviting glow, welcoming you to the space. If it's the wrong size, though, it just looks funny. A badly chosen chandelier can throw off the balance of the entire space. How do you choose the appropriate chandelier for your space? Get your measuring tape, a notebook and pencil, and your camera. 

Take three full view images of your room. The first is taken from the entrance to the room, the second from a far corner, and the third from the opposite corner. You'll take these with you when you go shopping. If you are hanging a chandelier in the dining room, measure the length and width of the table, making note of the measurements. 

The diameter of the chandelier should be 12 inches less than the width of the table. The bottom of the chandelier should hang 30 inches above the top of the table. The 12-inch rule is not a hard and fast rule, however. If you have a very large table, consider a chandelier that is closer to half the width of the table. 

Consider the visual weight of the lighting fixture as well. A densely constructed chandelier, such as one with layers of dangling crystals appears larger than one of the same size constructed from blown glass tubing that has space between the arms. 

When choosing your chandelier for a dining room, keep in mind the style of the room and the overall size of the other furnishings. Choose a chandelier that will balance with the scale and style of the other furnishings, such as your sideboard. This is where your photographs will help you in your decision. Seeing the room while looking at the chandeliers will help you make a better match.

For other rooms in your home, such as a foyer or living room, you need to know the size of the room. Measure the length and width of the room. Add the two numbers together and that number, in inches, indicates the diameter of the chandelier. For example, if your room is 14 feet by 16 feet, add 14 and 16. The result is 30. Your chandelier should be 30 inches in diameter for that space. The bottom of the chandelier should be at least seven feet from the floor.If seven feet brings the chandelier too close visually bring it up to seven and a half or even eight feet, but no higher. 

The height of your chandelier can be calculated by the height of the room. You should have 2 1/2 to 3 inches of chandelier for each foot in height. Multiply the height of your ceiling by 2.5 or by 3. 

8 x 2.5 = 20

8 x 3 = 24

An eight-foot ceiling then, would call for a chandelier 20 to 24 inches in height. 

Though measurements may dictate the physical size of a chandelier, the visual weight of the fixture plays an important role in the design. A smaller, more intricate chandelier with large crystals may appear, visually, as compatible to a space as the larger, more physically accurate chandelier. A fixture may be quite wide and have a suitable height for the space, but if it is an open and airy design while the room is furnished with larger, more visually weighted furniture, the chandelier may appear too bouyant, as if it happened to float into the room. The right chandelier matches the visual weight of the furnishings as well as the actual measure of the space.

Learn more about this author, Shelly Mcrae.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.