Chandelier Lighting Guide

Sizing A Foyer Chandelier

Location is extremely important in lighting. Choosing your fixture starts with proportion. Start by adding the length of your foyer to the width of your foyer. That will give you the minimum diameter for the size of the chandelier that will best fit your space.

Hanging Your Foyer Chandelier

Ensure at least 7 feet of clearance below your fixture. As a rule of thumb, hang your chandelier so that the distance from the bottom of the fixture to the floor is the ceiling height minus 7ft / 2 (to be confirmed by client). If you have a 1.5 or a two-story foyer with a window, hang your chandelier so that it is centered within your front foyer window.

Sizing A Dining Room Chandelier

Use this formula to gauge the size of your chandelier: the minimum diameter or length of a chandelier should be no more than half of the length of your dining room table. If you have an oversized dining table with lofty ceilings, a linear chandelier can be up to 2/3 the length of the table.

Hanging Your Dining Room Chandelier

For standard 8’ ceilings, your chandelier should hang 30-36” above the top of your dining table. For higher ceilings, for every additional foot above 8 feet, raise the height by 3-6" per additional foot.

How Bright should a Chandelier be?

The suggested light output is based on the size of the room. Measure the length and width of the room and multiply by 10 for the minimum light output and multiply by 20 for the maximum light output.

For example, if your room is 10' by 20' your formula(s) will look like this:

• (10x20) x 10-foot candles = 1200 lumens minimum
• (10x20) x 20-foot candles = 2400 lumens maximum

In this instance, the room needs between 1200 and 2400 lumens of light output. Consider though, that your chandelier does not have to supply all those lumens itself. This would only apply if your room is wired for one fixture. If you have recessed lighting or wall sconces in your dining room, those count towards your total lumens.

Of course, you do not want 2400 lumens always shining in your dining room. Layer your room lighting and pair your carefully selected chandelier with a compatible dimmer switch. Note that all dimmer switches are not compatible with all fixtures so be sure to check with our lighting specialists to determine which dimmer is right for which fixture.