Software
Houzz Logo Print
reese_poorman92

30 ft ceiling over dining room

4 years ago

Hey guys! We recently moved into a home with vaulted ceilings. The current setup has a small chandelier hanging from the tallest part of the vault about 30 feet up and it is quite the eye sore! It’s hard to imagine any light looking good hanging from a ceiling that high as all you see is cord! Thinking about removing the fixture and using floor lamps and sconces here. Does anyone have experience or insight that may make this decision easier? Thanks!

Comments (25)

  • 4 years ago

    What does the doorway lead to on the upper level? If it’s a niche or fake I’d be tempted to close it in. That would simplify the area. Have you considered added a loft to that area?

  • 4 years ago

    It’s a door to no where! You are absolutely right, closing it would really help this area not be so hard to look at! Maybe I could find painters skilled enough to just close it off when they paint, assuming they will have to set up scaffolding.

    As far as adding a loft goes, we are not in need of square footage- this home has plenty of space, and that would cost too much! So we just have to make this work..

    Thanks for your input 😀

  • 4 years ago

    Not sure if the link will work, but there are sloped ceiling adaptable chandeliers that are quite long and not super expensive....

    Rosdorf Park Korhonen 9 - Light Unique Tiered Chandelier with Wrought Iron Accents | Wayfair


  • 4 years ago

    Great, thank you! I’ll give this some more thought. Sounds like I shouldn’t abandon the chandelier idea altogether

  • 4 years ago

    Yes you should abandon the chandelier idea. I would remove it. If that is meant to the dining area the chandelier should only be about 30-33" off the table so that one isn't working. It also accentuates the ridiculous soffit/ledge thing that makes no sense. Plus the cost of heating/cooling such a high space

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    That is one dramatic space! I would love to see more of the house. Dasmini's concept of an overscaled chandelier seems like a good one. Another alternative might be a large-scale Calder style mobile.

    Since your space is so high, you might search for lobby chandeliers, such as:

    https://aquagallery.com/collections/lobby. Surprisingly, etsy is also a good and less expensive source.

  • 4 years ago

    I would definitely remove the hanging chandelier. Focus on you lighting at floor level❣️Your dining room is quite a lovely space.

  • 4 years ago

    I don't have a problem with long chandelier cords, but I agree that there's a lot going on in this space, especially with that horizontal line. Of course, there are other angles from which you will view the space, so I'd be open to finding just the right fixture -- you can put floor lamps or sconces, but it's hard to really get enough light to dine by comfortably in all seats without an overhead light.

  • 4 years ago

    Take it out. Draws way too much attention to the niche. Which I'd figure out how to fill in. . .

  • 4 years ago

    This isn't exactly a great example, but shows what I mean...I would figure out how to create some kind of a lowered ceiling in that area, not fully covering the room but partially and hang a chandelier from that. (enclose the niche)



  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Could do a custom linear LED that is part sculpture, part lighting -- excuse my very rough idea:


  • 4 years ago

    Thank you everyone for input! Most in favor of chandelier. Interesting idea to center it in the room as opposed to over where it is now (by the window over the table). The room is large, we’ve made it into 2 separate spaces see pic below. There’s a couch with small table and bookshelf, then over by the window is the dining area. Given that this room has 2 separate areas, would you still center the chandelier in the room?

    Ps we’ve hardly unpacked anything at all and are waiting on painters! Plan on putting lots of money into paint, lighting, furniture, etc.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I don't know your taste, but I suggest you go to limitlesswalls.com and find a mural to your liking for that wall. Have the door to nowhere drywalled closed and install a complete wall of something that excites you every time you see it. If you pick out a few to try, I bet one of our photoshop gurus here will paste it up for you to see on that wall. You should consider installing lights in that "beam" running across so the artwork can be nicely lighted. I don't think any chandy will be needed, but you can keep shopping for the right one after selecting the mural.. I believe you can have one of your own favorite photos made into a mural if you have a sentimental favorite you'd like to see every day.


  • 4 years ago

    I agree to keep it. Love nidnays mock up. I think that style light goes great with your space!!!
    And agreed on centering it.
    ....
    I might wrap the beam in wood. To make it look more intentional :)

  • 4 years ago

    I don't mind the long cord but it's still too high off the table, and too small. If you change your dining wall color or use a large peice of colorful art on the lower wall, the area above will seem more like just the ceiling. You might also consider hanging groups of very large basket or globe type lights somewhere from the ceiling, with one over the table and the others at differing heights further into the space. It might be worth getting a local lighting pro to take a look.



  • 4 years ago

    If you go with a chandelier, center it on the beam it is on in that section of the room. I like the idea of something sculptural. Keep looking until you find something you love!


  • 4 years ago

    Hmmm, the scale of this room doesn’t seem very friendly to me. I would add several large wood beams lower down to create a warmer more intimate feeling ; close up the arched opening and hang a large chandelier from the middle beam.

  • 4 years ago

    Another view. Just simplify the architectural elements in this room and bring that ceiling down to a more comfortable human level.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Now that we see more of the space, it’s difficult to say with certainty what position for a chandy would be best without actually being in the space. Here are a few more mockups with it centered in dining room and centered in the middle of the 2 rooms you have created. Centered in dining room is attractive because it will be centered not only in the room, but centered in the overlook opening from the stairs (although difficult to say if it will look awakward or not from other angles). If it were centered between the two rooms, a large fixture could potentially overlap the skylight which could look fine (or not), but could potentially tie the entire space together and look great (although with the fixture pushed over to the middle of the space, it doesn’t give much lighting over dining table.









    Either way, IMO you definetly need a large fixture somewhere in this space

    And the sconce on the stairway needs a little redo :)


    A couple more with a smaller fixture back over the table. In order to center it there, wiring will have to be moved because it will not line up the the electrical box once centered.






  • 4 years ago

    Thank you for the advice! We will continue our search for a chandelier fixture, center it on the beam it’s on now, and look into closing that niche or door to nowhere.

  • PRO
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    You can try a custom designed glass chandelier. See some images below. Let us know if we can help.

    sale@glalileelighting.com









  • PRO
    4 years ago

    ok, here is my spin on things. I would put track up there, with a few spots on it, then use a track adapter to power your new light fixture and actually swag it off the beam to the center of the table.

    Another thought is to close in the off center arch in the room as it is unbalanced. and then use that space to hang a large piece of art bring the curtains up and give more purpose to the volume.


  • PRO
    4 years ago



  • PRO
    4 months ago

    nice area for a small loft with a sitting area/ library above this section and making the window bigger. will also lower the hang of the chandelier.