My great room is 24 x 35 and I have 2 chandeliers that are about 4' wide (the ceilings are 17'). In our kitchen we will have a 12-1/2 x 4-1/2 ' island which will have 2 bell lanterns that are 15" wide over it. Each lantern has 6 lightbulbs. My living room is about the size of your great room and I think a 2 1/2' chandelier would do nicely in there.

Thanks laxfanmom. The great room looked huge to us when we went over there b/c they just finally got it walled in w/ doors, etc. and before they had, it looked tiny b/c we are in the middle of all these huge trees on this big lot and it was making the whole house look itty bitty.

I thought 2.5 feet was plenty big enough but when the electrician said bigger, it made me nervous!