Dining Room Chandeliers
Sized to the table, hung 30–36 inches above it.
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Choosing dining room chandeliers
A dining chandelier is the one case where you ignore the room and size to the table. Aim for a diameter between half and two-thirds of the table’s width — a 42-inch round table takes a 22 to 28 inch fixture, a 36-inch wide rectangular table the same. Wider than two-thirds and people knock it standing up.
Hang the bottom of the fixture 30 to 36 inches above the tabletop. Lower feels intimate and is correct for a dining room; the instinct to raise it for headroom is what leaves so many dining tables lit from too far away.
For a long rectangular table, two smaller chandeliers or a linear fixture beat one large round one. Centre them on the table, not the room — the table almost never sits exactly where the ceiling point does.
Dining Room Chandeliers — common questions
What size chandelier for a dining table?
Between half and two-thirds of the table’s width. A 42-inch round table takes 22 to 28 inches; a 72 by 36 inch rectangular table takes 18 to 24 inches, or two smaller fixtures spaced along its length.
How high should a chandelier hang over a dining table?
Thirty to thirty-six inches from the tabletop to the bottom of the fixture, on a standard eight to nine foot ceiling. Add about three inches of height for each additional foot of ceiling.