What is the right chandelier height from the table

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Chandelier height from the table is an important factor in hanging your fixture

Have you ever conked your head on a chandelier – or any kind of light – that is hanging from the ceiling? It hurts. It?s probably not very good on the light fixture either.

If a chandelier is not hung at the appropriate height, people are going to bang their heads on it when reaching across the table. If a chandelier is hung too low over a table, it?s going to be distracting and obstruct the view. Diners will have to lean to one side or another to see the person on the other side of the table.

The standard dining room ceiling is approximately eight feet high, although a dining room ceiling may be higher, particularly if you live in an older home. When hanging the chandelier over the table the bottom of the chandelier needs to be 30 to 36 inches (three feet) above the top of the table.

If the ceiling is higher than eight feet, it is necessary, visually, to hang the dining room chandelier a bit higher than the regulation 30 to 36 inches above the table. The chandelier should be approximately three inches higher (33 or 39 inches) from the top of the table in a room with high ceilings.

Consider what you use the table for. If children do their homework at this table or other projects occur at this location you may need to adjust the height of the chandelier so the area is properly illuminated for book work or other tasks. If chandeliers are hung too low, the lights will create a glare which is going to be uncomfortable on the eyes.

It?s always a good idea to install a dimmer switch so you can dim or brighten the light from the chandelier depending on the occasion or what the dining room table is used for at any given time.

Look at the room, the space and dimensions. If it is a rather small room, you may want to install a series of smaller chandeliers ? three, for example ? over the length of the table rather than installing one big chandelier that may look out of place and awkward in a confined space.

What size chandelier?

To figure out what size light to use over the dining room table, add together the dimensions (in feet) of the room in question. For example, if the room is 10 feet by 12 feet (which equals 22 feet) the chandelier should be approximately 22 inches in width.

If the chandelier you choose is a bowl style fixture, which means you cannot see through the class, it should be hung a little higher.

When there are crystals or other ornaments that hang from the chandelier consider that because they can obstruct the view of the diners if the chandelier is hung too low.

Consider the ?visual? weight of the chandelier. If the chandelier is too heavy and bulky, it can overpower a room, particularly if the room isn?t very big. When a chandelier is visually light, it can be wider in diameter but when it is visually heavy, the diameter should be smaller.
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A good rule of thumb when choosing the size of a chandelier that is going to go over your dining room table is that the diameter of the chandelier should be half the width or diameter of the table. If the table is 36 inches wide, the chandelier should be 18 inches wide or half the width of the table. When a dining room table is round, apply the same technique. A 60-inch round table should be coupled with a 30 inch (diameter) chandelier.

To determine how tall the chandelier should be allow 2.5 to 3 inches for every foot of the room?s height. If the room has an eight-foot ceiling, the chandelier should be 20- to 24 inches in height. (Eight feet times 3 = 24 or eight feet times 2.5 = 20 inches.) If the ceiling is 10 feet high, use the same process. The light fixture should be 25- to 30 inches tall in a room with taller ceilings.