Picking Out a Chandelier?

Though deciding on a chandelier for your home is largely dependent on your esthetic taste, the proper chandelier sizes are fairly universal. There are of course no limits to a person's creativity, but it is nice to have a basic set of rules as a guideline for choosing the right size chandelier. If you intend on making an intentional artistic statement by breaking these rules, you can certainly still be successful, but if you purchase and install the wrong size chandelier out of ignorance, it will be obvious to even the most untrained eye. Like any form of art such as music or painting, home lighting and decoration have rules that can certainly be broken, but knowing these rules is essential to any sort of artistic integrity.

Determining the right size chandelier, proportionate to the space, is really a game of numbers. With these guidelines, anyone can quickly estimate what chandelier will be the correct size. If the room is 14 ft. squared, it is recommended to use a 24" to 36" in diameter chandelier fixture. It is important that a chandelier not be dwarfed by the room and vice versa. If a chandelier is too small for a particular space, you may as well find an alternate less expensive fixture, because this scenario makes the chandelier look almost humorous rather than glamorous. Similarly, if the room is 12 ft. sq. the chandelier should be approximately 26 inches in diameter, and if it is 10 ft. sq. it should be 17 to 20 inches. These figures are not perfect equations, but they provide good proportionate sizing to work from.

If the chandelier is hanging from a high ceiling, perhaps in an entryway, the rules are slightly different. The height of the chandelier becomes much more important. The fixtures should hang down at least one quarter of the distance (if it is a two-story area). Otherwise, some other pendant style fixture may be more appropriate. If there are widows above the front door, positioning the chandelier so it is centered in the window from an exterior view is a great solution.

Dining room chandeliers are perhaps the most important to consider proportionately. It should serve as a centerpiece, but not that distracts from the rest of the table. The chandelier is at least 12 inches more narrow than the short width of the dining table, and it hangs approximately 30 inches above the surface of the table. This allows for guests and family to keep from bumping their heads into your fabulous chandelier fixture.

Once the size of the room and chandelier proportions have been considered, it is up to your taste and style to find the right chandelier within the right size. Ask yourself questions like, is this a modern formal space or is it more Victorian? Is it a casual environment or does it have a rustic theme? These kinds of questions and a guideline of the right size will greatly aid in the search for the chandelier that completes your special room.John Billington is the president and CEO of Five Rivers Inc., a leading online provider of home lighting, bathroom lighting, and outdoor lighting. For more information, please visit http://www.fiverivers.com.