Dining Room Chandeliers

The dining room chandeliers here are sized to the table, not to the room. The working rule puts the fixture at one half to two thirds of the table width and centers it over the tabletop, even when the tabletop is not in the middle of the room. Scale settles first, style second.

How to choose dining room chandeliers

Measure the table before opening a single product page. A 36 inch round table takes a fixture around 18 to 24 inches across. A 42 inch wide rectangular table takes 21 to 28. Round tables take that measurement across the diameter and rectangular tables across the narrow dimension, never the length. Going under that range leaves the fixture looking stranded above a large surface, and going over it crowds the people sitting at the ends. The table width is the constraint, and the room dimensions barely enter into it.

Shape follows the table next. A round or drum fixture suits a round or square table because the light falls evenly to every seat. A rectangular table longer than six feet is better served by a linear fixture or by two smaller ones spaced along its length, since a single round frame lights the middle and leaves both ends dim.

Then plan the light itself. A dining table wants a low warm setting for a meal and enough output to clear the table afterward, which is an argument for a dimmer wherever the specification allows one. Diffused shades keep the source out of the eyes of anyone seated opposite. Exposed bulbs look better switched off and demand a lower output to stay comfortable at the table. Wall sconces or a lamp on the sideboard carry the low layer in a room where the fixture itself cannot dim.

Hanging height and diameter for dining room chandeliers

The numbers below are what a US kitchen and dining designer works to, assuming an eight foot ceiling and a table at the usual 30 inches.

• Height: 30 to 36 inches from the tabletop to the lowest point of the fixture.
• Taller ceilings: add roughly 3 inches of drop per additional foot of ceiling.
• Diameter: one half to two thirds of the table width.
• Edge clearance: keep at least 6 inches of tabletop visible outside the fixture on each side.
• Long tables: two fixtures spaced evenly, or one linear frame, beyond about 6 feet.

Hanging height is where most installations go wrong, and it goes wrong in the same direction every time. Too high and the fixture stops being a table light, spilling across the room and leaving the surface flat. Too low is rarer and easier to spot on the day. Hang it, sit down at the table and check the sightline to the person opposite before cutting the chain or the cord to length. Chain and cord are adjustable at installation on most designs, so choose for the room rather than assuming the packed drop is fixed.

Questions about lighting a dining table

What diameter suits a six foot table?

A 72 inch table is usually 36 to 40 inches wide, which puts the fixture between 18 and 27 inches across. At that length, two smaller fixtures or one linear frame often work better than a single round one, since the ends of the table stay lit.

How high above the table should it hang?

Thirty to thirty six inches from the tabletop to the lowest point, with an eight foot ceiling. Add about 3 inches for every extra foot of ceiling height. Lower within that range for a wide shade, higher for a narrow or open frame.

Should it be centered on the table or the room?

On the table. The two rarely coincide, and a fixture centered on the room above an offset table looks like an error even when the ceiling box says otherwise. A swag hook or a ceiling medallion moves the drop point without new wiring.

How many fixtures does a long table need?

One up to about six feet, two beyond that. With a pair, space them evenly along the length and keep the outer edges about a foot inside the table ends. A single linear frame does the same job with one canopy.

Does the fixture need to match the kitchen lighting?

It needs to relate, not match. Sharing a finish or a shade material between the dining fixture and the kitchen pendants ties the two spaces together. Identical fixtures in both rooms read flat in an open plan, where every sightline shows the two at once.

Continue with Bedroom Chandeliers, Foyer Chandeliers, Hallway Chandeliers and Staircase Chandeliers. This page is part of Chandeliers.