Chandeliers: The Perfect Size And Hanging Height Guide

Dining room:

A dining room chandelier should be about 1 foot narrower than your dining room table. Once you determine the correct size of the chandelier and you find the right one, hang it so that it’s between 30 and 34 inches above the table if your ceiling is a standard 8 feet.



Higher ceilings require 3 additional inches of chandelier height for every additional foot of ceiling height.


A round table would call for a single chandelier while a rectangle table could support two fixtures, especially in a large room. Try to position it above the table only, and it shouldn’t be closer than 4’ to any wall if your room is large enough to support this rule of thumb.


Chandeliers should also be on dimmers.






Foyer & Staircase:

The optimal height for a foyer chandelier is a minimum of 80 and 84 inches from the floor to the bottom of the chandelier. Hang it higher if you have a high ceiling in the foyer. Just remember – the higher the chandelier, the smaller it will appear. Large and bold chandelier can be especially appropriate... A stairway with a second story in the foyer really needs a special chandelier. Just make sure the height doesn’t sit below the line of the second floor.

If the space has windows, we can center the fixture so it can be seen from the outside.






Hallways:

If you have the standard 5-foot-wide hallway, opt for a chandelier with a 12-inch diameter. The distance between the floor and the bottom of the chandelier should be between 80 and 84 inches. Keep the effect simple and understated to avoid overpowering the tight space of a hallway.




In general, in most rooms where you will walk under a chandelier, it should be hung so that the bottom is about 7′ from the floor. To estimate the size of your chandelier, add the width and length of the room and convert to inches. For example, if your foyer is 10’ by 12’, add 10 + 12 to get 22- start with a chandelier that is somewhere around 22” diameter.




2002: The San Francisco Chronicle suggests using two pieces of cardboard the same length as the width of an open chandelier and cutting slots in them to make an "X"--this represents your chandelier arms. When you hold up the "X," the bottom should be at a comfortable height when you're seated at the table.


For a bowl chandelier, you can hold an open umbrella, which usually is as wide as your average bowl chandelier, upside down over your dining room table and try for a height you like. Measure from the bottom of the open umbrella to the dining room table surface.