Shedding Light on Hanging Chandeliers
A big challenge for our homeowners who ask us for interiors advice, and our builders/developer partners bringing a new property to market is what to do about the dining room chandelier. We’re almost always asked about what style to buy, but before deciding on style there are two more important things to establish:
Placement—You must know the size of your dining table and make sure you have placed it in a spot that enables ample space for pulling out chairs and still being able to walk around. Also, make sure your table placement is not obstructing a main walkway.
Illumination—Does your dining room have recessed lighting around the perimeter? If not, your overhead chandelier is going to need to do alot of heavy lifting in your room—lighting the table, as well as sending light upwards and out to the side. Some of the pressure can be removed by installing wall sconces or placing a lamp on a sideboard.
After you’ve answered questions above, you have better parameters to use for selecting your chandelier. There are now many cool LED chandeliers, but be advised some of these are limited-life: once the bulb dies, the chandelier must be replaced. One more tip: as a general rule of thumb, the bottom of the light should be about 30”-36” above the table. Don’t hang your chandelier too high—getting it the right distance from the table makes it the focal point it deserves to be!