Center a chandelier above the dining table.
Chandeliers are both fashionable and functional; they can be matched to any style and illuminate a room with beauty. Determining the size of chandelier for your dining room can be a bit tricky. Select one that is too small and it will feel lost in the room; one that is too large will make the room feel crowded. With a few calculations, you can be confident that you buy the right size of chandelier for your dining room.
Table Size
As a general rule, the diameter of a chandelier should measure at least one-half the width of the table, which is true for all table shapes: square, oval, rectangular or round. With this in mind, a chandelier should never overpower a table, and there should be at least 12 inches on each side of the chandelier to the edge of the table.
Room Size
The size of a affects what size of chandelier will look best. Measure the length and width of a room, and add the two dimensions together. Equate that sum to inches, which will be the diameter your chandelier should be. For example, consider a dining room that measures 15 x 18 feet. Add 15 and 18, which equals 33 and means that the diameter of your chandelier should be 33 inches.
Ceiling Height
To calculate how tall the chandelier should be, measure the height of the ceiling in the room. The fixture should be 2 1/2 to 3 inches for every 1 foot of ceiling height, which means the chandelier in a room with an 8-foot ceiling should be 20 to 24 inches tall, or 25 to 30 inches in a room with a 10-foot ceiling. For visual balance, select a fixture with multiple tiers in rooms with a ceiling height of 9 feet or more.
Wattage
Knowing how many watts your chandelier should have can mean the difference in a poorly lit room or one that is too bright and the perfectly illuminated dining experience. This time, multiply the length and width of the room measurements to find the square footage, and multiply by 1.5 to figure the total wattage needed. For a 15 x 18-foot room, the square footage is 270. Multiply by 1.5 for a total of 405 watts.
Adjusting Illumination
Your dining room may serve as home to a variety of activities, such as family meals, homework or crafts. Install a dimmer switch for greater flexibility of illumination in the dining room; lower the light level for intimate dinners, turn it all the way up for crafting or in between for homework and daily meals.
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