Sissyphus, it's actually not oversized if it falls within the recommended size range. But in any case I'm sure we're not the first people to fall in love with some home-decor element (a piece of furniture, a rug, a light etc.) - before the house is even built no less - and then have to decide what to do with it. And this still doesn't answer the question of how to follow all of these rules at the same time, regardless of the specific fixture. For anyone who might have something constructive to say, here's a pic of the lantern:

I think once a light fixture reach a certain size, it resembles a bird cage.

A good lighting plan comes first. Before the choice of any fixtures. It isn’t about the fixtures. It’s about the amount and placement of the footcandles, where you need it. You need general, task, accent, and specialty lighting. The trend towards “statement lighting” pendants at the expense of a functional lighting design is one of the “modern” trends in design that I can’t wait for it to reverse itself. One or two art pieces is fine, if the lighting plan is designed to take up the slack. But they can’t form the basis for a well lit home. Most offer poor lighting capabilities.

We do have a lighting schedule in our house plans, which includes recessed lighting (can lights) as well as under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen; and in most spaces these render "statement" lights almost unnecessary in a practical sense. I'm also a fan of floor/table lamps but short of putting permanent holes in the hardwood for outlets it can be difficult to place these where they are needed most. As the foyer is least in need of much beyond ambient lighting, this would be the most likely space for a statement light even if it's a bit imposing. In regard to this one lantern, I thought perhaps someone else had been in the same predicament and might have some insights or creative solutions that we had not considered. One contributing factor is that due to the joist placement for the floor above it was not possible to center the junction box in the foyer ceiling; so we had to place it closer to the door than it normally would have been. Thus we might try swagging the chain and wiring to a hook a foot or two back/over where the lantern may look less imposing.

Back to the general "rules", it's also occurred to me that the one about hanging a light 6" above the door may well assume an 80" door - and indeed an 86" hanging height is much more forgiving of the requisite 30" fixture. This still doesn't explain all the pics I've seen of a smallish fixture hanging several feet down from a tall ceiling. But however our faux-pas may have caused personal offense in this case we'll reach a solution some way or other.

No excuse for not centering the box in your foyer ceiling ... the electrician should have used the shallow/pancake boxes they sell for exactly this purpose. Don't swag it, that will just highlight the mistake.

Interesting...we may still hang it from the front porch ceiling, but we'll certainly revisit the idea of re-centering.

Well this is what we decided on (albeit with different bulbs); we like the look but we can always move it upstairs later on.

Obstructing the view of the door was my primary concern as well, but I don't like flush-mounts (at most I'd put up a semi-flush) and this look has grown on me. I've also seen other pics of pendants in front of entry doors.

hanging porch light in front of door - Google Search · More Info

gas lanterns front door - Google Search · More Info

hanging porch light in front of door - Google Search · More Info

hanging porch light in front of door - Google Search · More Info