Chandelier Over Desk

last year

When a chandelier is hung over a desk, do the same rules apply that are applicable for a dining room table? For a 8 foot ceiling, the bottom of the chandelier should be 30 to 36 inches above the desk? Is it weird to hang a chandelier over a desk when the desk isn’t exactly centered in the room? Therefore, the chandelier isn’t exactly centered over the desk.

Featured Answer

chispa

last year

Sometimes people put a desk in a room that was built as a living room with a central chandelier. Most people don't want to spend the money to move the fixture, thinking they will sell at some point and the fixture will then look odd being off-center in the space.

Perfection can (sometimes) be achieved if everything is planned ahead of time and/or there is no budget ... the rest of the time most people work with what they have. A chandelier off center from a desk is not the end of the world!

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Comments (8)

PRO
JAN MOYER
last year
last modified: last year
Show the space please? There is no way to answer your question with no CONTEXT: )

You would want a hanging fixture directly over a desk, to be no more than 33" above the desk, to the BOTTOM of the light fixture, or......translated? 63" bottom of light to the floor.

Other wise? Get a flush semi flush fixture for the CENTER of the room, and add a desk lamp.
PRO
Diana Bier Interiors, LLC
last year
I've never seen a chandelier over a desk. The best light for working at a desk is task lighting, namely a table lamp. You can install a chandelier or a ceiling fixture for ambient lighting in the room.
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kandrewspa
last year
I think a chandelier not centered in the room over a desk would look odd. In my last two home offices I did what Jan said, put a semi-flush fixture in the center of the room and had a desk lamp. I only use the desk lamp part of the time. It depends on what kind of work you do whether you even need one. My current HO is large, so I also have recessed lighting in the four corners (spaced out from the corners about two feet). This is plenty of light.
chispa
last year
Might be weird to some, but not to others.

I always find examples of pretty much everything on Houzz photos!

I would hang it higher than a chandelier over a dining table.

In search bar type "chandelier over desk" and then select "chandelier over desk IN PHOTOS"

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PRO
JAN MOYER
last year
Well done..........

and not................................

Just because it is on the internet..........: )......
PRO
Diana Bier Interiors, LLC
last year
A few points:

1. As Jan said just because something is on the internet/done, doesn't mean it's a good idea.

2. The OP is in the planning stage, I don't believe that she already has the chandelier over the desk, so it's not a question of working with what she has.

3. Of course if the chandelier is already there, and she doesn't want to move it, it's not the end of the world. Few decor choices are.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
WHY? A desk needs good lighting for work and IMO a chandelier over one makes no sense .