Choosing Your Chandelier

From days of yore chandeliers have always been highly regarded for their elegance and beauty. They set the scene. They are a display of opulence and give an atmosphere of grandeur, status and wealth. The size and complexity of the chandelier, particularly the dazzling crystal chandelier with its sparkling prisms that cascade the room with rainbows, proclaimed the eminent owner's degree of luxury lifestyle. They would be and still are today often found in the entrance halls, foyers and atriums of celebrated public establishments, theatres and the like.

Nowadays the demand for chandeliers, and particularly for different varieties of chandeliers, has increased beyond imagination; such that they have become far more commonplace in the last few decades. The huge increase in the differing styles of chandelier may seem bewildering to someone who wants to buy a one but without a clear idea of exactly which sort. Here are some guidelines to help clarify exactly what will be suitable for you.

The first important point to consider is exactly where the chandelier will hang. Will it be in the entrance hall, living room, dining room, or wherever? Then you will need to decide upon its exact location within that room so as to be able to judge the right size. You will need to know the minimum and maximum height and width dimensions. Obviously you need a chandelier that fulfils your intention for buying it. If the room it is to go in has a high ceiling, you will automatically need a larger size chandelier. If it is to go in a cozy alcove, you will want to make sure that no one is going to bang their head when they walk under it. Generally chandeliers hang from a chain that is attached to the ceiling, so you have a degree of flexibility as to its height from the floor. The type of lighting is another concern. If you use normal electric bulbs, you will need to be able to replace them occasionally. If you have chosen a candle chandelier (originally all chandeliers had candles for lights), then you need to consider that they will need replacing continually.

If you're ceiling is not so high, you would obviously do better to choose an appropriately diminutive model and then you also have options of complementing the chandelier with additional lighting such as standard or table lamps, wall sconces and the like. The Italian and Murano chandeliers are particularly elegant as well as being compact. You would do well to consider having dimmer switches for your lights. This enables you to create different ambiances as well as controlling the energy consumption - an important consideration in our forever changing world.

Julian Pollock is a practising accountant and a trained therapist as well as a successful web site publisher. among his publications is a website on chandeliers, candelabra and lanterns (chandelier-mall.com).