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Hang the Perfect Light Over Your Holiday Table
Make everything look better with the right chandelier or pendant light for your dining room
I am an Interior Decorator in PA, stitching my urban roots into suburban spaces from NY to Philly. I am living my dream helping people achieve inspirational spaces. Visit me at www.loveyourroom.com and check out my blog for inspirational ideas.
I am an Interior Decorator in PA, stitching my urban roots into suburban... More »
Are you hosting a small or large gathering of friends or family for the holidays? Create a festive, warm and inviting atmosphere this year by including a delicious spread of food, lots of laughter, and the most mood-enhancing piece, your overhead table lighting. The right light makes everything look better! So lets review some simple lighting tips.
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| Calculate the right size. To keep tall guests from bumping their heads on your chandelier as they get up from their seats consider the size of your light. Using a measuring tape, calculate the width of the table and subtract one foot. For example, if your dining table is 38” wide, you will be looking for a chandelier that is 26” wide. The reason for this is so you don’t end up with a light that looks too small or too large over your table, and tall guests won't bump their heads on your chandelier as they get up from their seats. |
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| Figure out the right height. You never want to hear a guest across your table say “I can hear you but can only see crystal droplets in front of me.” This means the light was hung too low. If you have an 8-foot ceiling, there should be 30" to 36” from the tabletop to bottom of your light fixture. For each additional foot of ceiling height, add 3 inches to the height of your light. For example, a light in a 9-foot ceiling should hang down 33" to 39”. |
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| More light for the holidays. If you enjoy hosting large holiday gatherings, opening your table as long as it will go, or adding on a few card tables, consider breaking the fixture-size rule by a few inches to get in more lights — so everyone can find his fork! If you are the rebellious type, hang the bigger light higher so it does not feel weighty. Check out how close to the ceiling this large chandelier is. |
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Stems require careful consideration. Lights hung by stems, vs. cords or chains, really finish off a pendant light by hiding the wire. Stems do not allow you to play with the length very much. Always find out the total height of the light itself and the length of stems that come with it so you can calculate the length and know exactly how low it will hang (most stem lighting is based on 8- or 9-foot ceilings).
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| Seeing double. If your tabletop is extra long all the time, you could create better direct light at both ends of the table with two equally spaced chandeliers. And this is not only functional, but adds more drama to your space. |
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| Candle chandeliers. If you like long lingering meals by candlelight, try a fixture with faux-candle shades. These lights offer a warm, romantic glow. And during the holidays you can add fun accents like branches and ornaments without worrying they will catch on fire. If you are concerned about this kind of light not being strong enough, just remember that you can and should layer different types of lighting in a room, so include other table lamps, floor lamps or sconces. |
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Dare to dim. The key to creating the right kind of lighting is to have control over it! Use a dimmer.
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| P.S. Add a large mirror to double the light. Have a great holiday season! More: How to Get the Pendant Light Right Browse chandeliers in the Houzz Products section |
Ideabook published on Oct. 15, 2011.
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Jeanine, I've read some other sizing recommendations that might help you with your table.
1) Half the width of your table
2) 1/2 to 3/4 the width of your table
3) Leave 8-10" from the edge of the table to the edge of the chandelier (so 16-20" less than the width of your table)
4) If doing double chandeliers, have them be 1/3 the width of the table
5) Measure your room in feet, and then add the length and width and that would be the approximate measurement for your chandelier (i.e. 15'x13' = 28")
My own table is 42x75 without extensions (42x111 with them), my room is 17x13, and my ceilings are a little over 9' tall. I'm debating between a 26.5" round chandelier, a 30.5" round chandelier, 2 18.5" chandeliers, or one 40x24" linear chandelier. Any thoughts about which direction I should go in? Because according to the "guidelines" above I should either have:
1) a 21" chandelier
2) a 21-31.5" chandelier
3) a 22-26" chandelier
4) 2 14" chandeliers
5) a 30" chandelier.
6) a 30" chandelier (using this ideabook's guidelines, as the 6th version)
Umm, help!