Chandeliers are often an essential part of dining rooms, since they are ideal for defining the room’s style and tone. Aside from these aesthetic purposes, dining room chandeliers also illuminate a wide area and create a functional dining area. This means that choosing the proper size, height, and structure for the chandelier is a key part in fulfilling both a practical and style need. In order to choose the best chandelier size for your dining room, there are a few facets of the chandelier to consider and how those facets work in your specific room.
Choosing the proper size chandelier is vital in creating visual balance and providing enough light for the room. There are three common methods to sizing a chandelier for your dining room: basing the chandelier’s size on the ceiling height, basing it on the overall size of the room, or basing it on the size of the dining room table.
In all three cases, the chandelier should be centered directly over the table to ensure that you highlight the proper focal point and ensure that no one will bump their heads on the fixture. For more specific guidelines, keep reading on these areas to focus on.
No matter what shape or size table you have, your chandelier’s diameter has a direct correlation to the table. The chandelier’s edges should be at least 6 inches away from each side/end. Another way of planning the chandelier’s diameter and length is that it should be between half and three quarters the size of the table’s diameter.
For example, a dining room table that is 48” wide and 60” long would balance well with a 24” x 36” chandelier, since this is just over half the table’s width and length on their respective sides. These principles apply to a multitude of rooms, assuming your dining room table is measured to fit in the room’s space and the ceiling is high enough to display your chandelier.
The chandelier’s actual height and measurements are impacted by the room’s ceiling height and the height of the dining room table. One general rule is that the chandelier should be at least 30-36 inches away from the table.
With that in mind, assuming the room has a standard 8 foot tall ceiling, the chandelier’s height can be about 20 inches tall (taking up the top two or three feet of the room depending on the mounting type and specific size of the chandelier). If your ceiling is higher than 8 feet, it is often the hanging position that is changed, not necessarily the size of the chandelier itself.
As stated previously, a chandelier is typically hung about 30-36 inches above the dining room table. If your room has a higher ceiling, then you change the height of the chandelier above the table to showcase that extra height and balance with the room’s scale.
For every foot of additional ceiling space, hang your chandelier 3 inches higher. This means that in dining rooms with 10 foot tall ceilings, the chandelier will hang 36-42 inches above the table.
The ideal height for a chandelier above a dining room table is 30-36 inches above, or higher if the room has taller ceilings. However, the size of the chandelier should also balance with the size of the table itself. Round chandeliers work well with round tables, and rectangular chandeliers with rectangular tables can create well lit, stylish spaces.
The same rules listed above for determining the light’s proper diameter apply here, especially since the light’s diameter should balance with both the length and width of the table. In any case, it is vital that the chandelier is at least 6 inches shorter than the table on the sides and ends so that it is properly balanced with the table and is safe from being bumped.
Round or more traditional chandeliers should be two-thirds of the table’s diameter, or about 6 inches from each side of the table. With rectangular chandeliers and rectangular tables, the chandelier should be between half and three quarters the size of the table’s diameter to ensure that the chandelier is not too large or too small in comparison to the table.
Tables that are 6 feet or 72 inches in length can handle a range of different sizes. 6’ x 36” tables can accommodate 3’x24” chandeliers, although the length can increase a bit as long as it is covering about two-thirds of the table’s length. With wider 6 foot dining tables like a 6’ x 42”, the chandelier can be up to 30 inches wide.
8 foot rectangular tables look good with one centralized chandelier over the table. An 8’ x 36” rectangular table would balance well with a chandelier that is 5-6 feet long and about 24” wide. The length of your chandelier can vary depending on the size of the table and if you would like to place two smaller chandeliers in that area.
If your chandelier is more than three-quarters the size of the dining room table, then it is likely too big. The light should also be at least 6 inches from each side and end, so if that area is too small, the chandelier will be overbearing in the room’s scale and layout.
Chandeliers are a beautiful addition to any dining room as they add a unique style and lighting scheme to this essential space. With the sizing guidelines listed above, you may now confidently choose a chandelier that will balance your room’s size and aesthetic.
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