If your table is 3 feet high, I would say 4 feet higher. So that's 7 foot from the floor.

A dining table is 30 inches above the floor. The fixture should be about 30 inches above the table top, but use your judgement; if it's a drum shade, maybe a bit higher, if it's a French crystal chandelier, the bottom (maybe a cut crystal ball) can be a tad lower than 30 inches. Also think about how you use the table: seated dinners or mostly as a buffet for food. If mostly seated, the 30 inches is great, but if you use it mostly to put out food for a buffet dinner or cocktail party you can go a little higher.

Go to This Old House magazine, or Thhis Old House .com , your answer will be there!