Who This Is For: Anyone choosing a chandelier for a living room, dining room, entryway or stairwell who wants the size right before they order.
Key Takeaways
- The Short Answer
- Diameter: The Room Formula
- Height: How Much Ceiling to Leave
- Over a Table or a Seating Area
- Entries and Stairwells
- A Quick Reference
- Visual Weight
- Common Mistakes
- Measure Before You Choose
- Is It Right for Your Space?
The Short Answer
Add the length and width of your room in feet. That number, in inches, is your chandelier diameter. Then leave at least 7 ft (213 cm) between the floor and the lowest point of the fixture wherever people walk.
A chandelier that is too small looks like an afterthought. One that is too large crowds the room. These two measurements put you in the right range, and the rest is a matter of taste.
Diameter: The Room Formula
Measure the room in feet and add the two sides together. A room that is 12 ft by 14 ft gives 26, so look for a chandelier about 26 in across (66 cm). A 16 ft by 20 ft room gives 36 in (91 cm).
Treat the answer as a center point, not a rule. Go a few inches larger for a fixture with open, airy lines. Go a few inches smaller for one with dense crystal or solid shades.
A Size That Scales
Isolde, the Crystal Rod Dining Chandelier, is a good example of choosing between sizes. The round version is 23.6 in (60 cm) or 31.5 in (80 cm) across and 15.7 in (40 cm) high. A 37.4 in (95 cm) rectangle, 12.6 in deep and 13.8 in high, suits a long table.
The height shown is the body only. The suspension sets the finished drop when it is installed.
Height: How Much Ceiling to Leave
For an 8 ft ceiling, choose a fixture no taller than about 20 in (50 cm), so you keep clear head height. A good guide is 2.5 to 3 in of fixture height for every foot of ceiling. A 10 ft ceiling suits a fixture 25 to 30 in tall (64 to 76 cm).
Low ceilings need a low profile. Choose a compact, wide fixture so the glow spreads sideways rather than down.
Gibbous, the Opal Glass Globe Chandelier, is only 11.81 in high (30 cm) in every size, so a wider ring does not need a higher ceiling. The 5 light is 22.05 in across (56 cm), the 7 light is 30.71 in (78 cm), and the 9 light is 39.37 in (100 cm).
Over a Table or a Seating Area
Over a table, the chandelier should be about 12 in (30 cm) narrower than the table, so there is clear room for chairs and elbows. Hang the bottom 30 to 36 in (76 to 91 cm) above the tabletop.
Over a seating area, center the fixture on the coffee table rather than the room if the furniture sits off center. People will read the arrangement, not the floor plan.
When the Ceiling Is Tall
A vaulted or double height room asks for scale. Grange, the Whitewashed Wood Candle Chandelier, comes in four sizes, from 15.7 in (40 cm) across and 16.5 in (42 cm) tall to 31.5 in (80 cm) across and 27 in (69 cm) tall.
The hanging chain is adjustable, so the finished drop is set when it is installed.
Entries and Stairwells
An entry should welcome you without hanging in your face. Keep the lowest point at least 7 ft (213 cm) from the floor. In a stairwell, measure from the lowest stair the fixture hangs above, not the landing.
Tall spaces suit tall fixtures. Gloria, the Gold Tiered Crystal Chandelier, is 23.6 in across and 47.2 in high (60 by 120 cm), or 31.5 in across and 59.1 in high (80 by 150 cm). It is made for foyers and stairwells, and the suspension adds to the height.
For a full stairwell, Cirrus ranges from a 6 light that is 15.75 in wide and 70.87 in high (40 by 180 cm) to a 28 light that is 27.56 in wide and 255.91 in high (70 by 650 cm). Measure floor to ceiling before you choose, since the height is the full drop.
Explore more in staircase chandeliers and chandeliers.
A Quick Reference
Use these room sizes as a starting point. Each diameter comes from the formula above: length plus width in feet, read as inches.
- 10 by 12 ft room: about 22 in across (56 cm).
- 12 by 14 ft room: about 26 in across (66 cm).
- 14 by 16 ft room: about 30 in across (76 cm).
- 16 by 20 ft room: about 36 in across (91 cm).
- 20 by 24 ft room: about 44 in across (112 cm), or two fixtures of around 30 in (76 cm).
When to Go Larger
Step up a size when the ceiling is higher than 9 ft (274 cm), when the room has little other furniture, or when the fixture is open and airy. A larger chandelier gives a room presence without making it feel crowded.
When to Use Two
A very long room, or a long dining table, is often better served by two smaller fixtures than one large one. Space them about one third of the room length apart, and hang both at the same height. The light spreads evenly, and the room feels deliberate.
Visual Weight
Two chandeliers of the same size can look very different. Dense crystal and solid metal look heavier. Open frames, thin rods and clear glass look lighter.
An Open Frame Reads Lighter
Fairfax, the Brass Candle Chandelier, has candle arms that cast light up and outward. The 6 head is 28.7 in wide and 14.6 in high (73 by 37 cm). The 8 head is 33.5 in wide (85 cm).
The adjustable chain extends up to 35.4 in (90 cm), which makes it easy to set the right drop.
Common Mistakes
- Choosing from the photo. A photograph hides scale. Always check the measurements for your chosen size.
- Ignoring the drop. The height shown is often the body only, so allow for the suspension as well.
- Hanging it too low. A chandelier that catches a tall guest's eye line will feel like an obstacle, not a feature.
- Forgetting the weight. Heavy crystal needs a ceiling box and fixing that can carry it.
Measure Before You Choose
- Room: length and width in feet, then add them for your diameter in inches.
- Ceiling: floor to ceiling, then subtract 7 ft for the walking clearance.
- Table: width and length, then deduct 12 in (30 cm) from the narrower side.
- Power: mark the ceiling box, and have an electrician confirm it can carry the weight.
Cut a cardboard circle to the chandelier diameter and hold it at the planned height. It takes a minute and settles most doubts.
Is It Right for Your Space?
If the formula gives you a size between two options, choose the lighter looking fixture in the larger size. If your ceiling is low, choose width over height. If it is tall, choose height over width.
Send us your room measurements at info@norafurnish.com and our team will help you choose the size.
