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mcfaddenmichelle

Chandelier or not?

7 days ago
last modified: 7 days ago

I have been debating putting a chandelier in this space. If we decide to go ahead, should the placement be centre medalion in rug or more toward window over coffee table?








The celiings are tall (10 ft) so I don’t think the height is an issue. It is an old


house and we lean traditional. any thoughts or suggestions?


Comments (41)

  • 7 days ago

    I'd center it on the door opening and the window. It will be the focal point from each room opening. TRY with a piece of painters tape and a balloon.

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked Lyn Nielson
  • 7 days ago

    Thank you. The balloon idea is brilliant!

  • 7 days ago

    Furniture arrangements can change over the years, so center it where it looks balanced with the room dimensions/shape.

    I have a chandelier in my family room and it is centered in the room and not the seating arrangement. It might bother a very small percentage of people that it isn't right over the seating area, but no one has ever said I should have placed it somewhere else ... and I have people in my life that would have told me I should move it, if they really believed that!

    You might look for a semi-flush fixture that is wider and not as tall.

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked chispa
  • 7 days ago

    Here is an inserted chandelier using a.i. We don’t have coffered ceilings…but a.i decided to throw that in there too. Too much?


  • 7 days ago

    Yes, too much! I would not hang anything below 8 ft, so you are looking for something that is 2 ft high, which is why I suggested something with a larger circumference.

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked chispa
  • 7 days ago

    This is not the right style, but to show you a fixture that is wider, but not too tall.

    Oakland Park 528 · More Info



    This shape is good too.

    Tone on Tone Study · More Info


    Vistas at Highland Ridge - Single-Family Homes in Telford, PA · More Info


    Chelsea Townhouse · More Info


    mcfaddenmichelle thanked chispa
  • 7 days ago

    No, doesn't matter what is in an adjacent space, similar style, but whatever you like.

    Measure the width and length of the room and add together for the correct diameter of the fixture. example: 12' x 12' room = 24 inch diameter light fixture for the space.

    Do you need a medallion on the ceiling? I too would go for a semi flush mount. I personally do not like exposed bulbs. Think about the other lighting in the room... how about some picture lights? balance the lighting with ambient, task lighting, etc. Floor lamps, table lamps, ceiling.


    mcfaddenmichelle thanked Lyn Nielson
  • 7 days ago

    You could use a crystal chandelier in LR, also. No issues with that.


    I also think that something along these lines might be interesting.














    https://hammerworks.com/shop/english-tudor-lighting/english-tudor-copper-chandelier/

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked freedomplace1
  • 7 days ago
    last modified: 7 days ago

    Lovely house and those pocket doors are stunning! I like semi flush with dangling bulbs for your space.


    mcfaddenmichelle thanked roarah
  • 7 days ago

    I wouldn't. Side lamps, cans maybe but not a centeral fixture. Given your internal debate abotu where to hang it--points out the obvious, centered its an ok night light of sorts but does not sufficiently illuminate any area of the space.

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked arcy_gw
  • 7 days ago
    last modified: 7 days ago

    If you want a chandelier, for the style and ambience - then bring in a chandelier. Center it in the room. You have 10 ft ceilings... there is no reason why you need to be relegated to a flush or semi-flush mount fixture... And, please, no ”cans” in your room... 🤦🏻‍♀️


    mcfaddenmichelle thanked freedomplace1
  • 7 days ago

    Thank you so much for the iseas and images. I don’t think I am leaning toward cans. We have spent alot of $ on plaster and repair of both the old tin ceilings and the plastered cove ceilings of this old house, so I am not big on the idea of filling my ceilings full of holes. From the outside, I think it would have looked nice to see a pretty light through the leaded glass windows. I think I will look at a shorter, wider fixture (not a multi-tiered) based on the feedback. I just don’t want it to be stylistically too different from the rest of the lighting in the house. Eg. dining room


  • 7 days ago

    I want a house tour lol!

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked roarah
  • 7 days ago

    Gorgeous home! fwiw i found a vintage semi flush wedding cake chandy for our old house living room - the bit of patina knocks back the fanciness, it would jibe with your other fixture

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked la_la Girl
  • 6 days ago
    last modified: 6 days ago

    Thank you! We have been under constant renovation over this last year since purchasing this house, largely doing the work ourselves. (So thankful, I married a carpenter). We are almost finished the kitchen. Fridge panels not in yet and crown above range hood. Lightning needs to go above island. We has to take a piece of the original tin ceiling tile that will be hidden once the crown goes up above range hood to patch the spot on the ceiling above the island. The wall came out between the dining room and kitchen to make the kitchen layout work, also.





  • 6 days ago

    I am in awe! Thank you for the tour! Beautifully done.

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked roarah
  • 6 days ago

    so Lovely and welcoming ✨

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked la_la Girl
  • 4 days ago

    Yes! good point about the rug medalion being centered under potentional fixture. Thank you for the picture. The visual weight of the fixure you included in the image looks good to me.

  • PRO
    4 days ago

    I would definitely add a chandelier. The room already has a lot of traditional character, and a statement light fixture would help define the seating area without making the space feel crowded. I would center it over the coffee table rather than the rug medallion, since the seating arrangement naturally revolves around the table.

    One thing I've learned while testing decorative lighting is that the right fixture often changes the entire feel of a room more than people expect. I recently compared several statement lights with before/after examples, including some moon-inspired wall lights, in case you're looking for additional ideas:

    https://youtu.be/g-R98L8EdII

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked Prime Estate Studio
  • 3 days ago

    Thank you. Those fixtures are from the video you shared are absolutely stunning. Maybe something spherical might be worth considering!

  • PRO
    3 days ago

    I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I also recently put together another collection featuring more contemporary pendant lights. If you're still exploring different options, it might give you a few more ideas as well: https://youtu.be/nKEcEzpYHhk

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked Prime Estate Studio
  • PRO
    3 days ago

    Yes to a chandelier but IMO a lot larger than the roarah shows and yes to making sure rug and chanedeier are centered . Beautiful home BTW

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
  • PRO
    2 days ago

    I completely agree that the chandelier should be centered on the rug. If you're planning to keep the existing furniture, I'd also choose a chandelier in a color that complements the rug, the leather chairs, and the wood furniture. It could become a beautiful focal point on the ceiling and help tie the entire room together.

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked Prime Estate Studio
  • 2 days ago

    @Prime Estate Studio - I agree. And I took the color of the rug and style of the chairs and wood furniture (as well as the style of the house) into consideration when I suggested the copper chandelier.

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked freedomplace1
  • PRO
    2 days ago

    @freedomplace1 - By the way, while reading through all the comments on this post, I found myself drawn to the ceiling fixtures you suggested. Personally, I think the first and second options are absolutely beautiful. In my opinion, either one would be a perfect fit for this room.

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked Prime Estate Studio
  • 2 days ago

    @Prime Estate Studio - Thank you so much. I really appreciate you. Most of the time, I am talking to myself around here. ;)

    I also appreciate your comments on this post.

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked freedomplace1
  • 2 days ago

    I also really love the hammered metal fixtures that freedom place showed. I am probably overly conservative with my lighting choices and this forum allows me to see options that I would have never considered. Thank you all for sharing your wonderful ideas! So many stunning options.

  • 2 days ago

    I do like the old rug and would like to hang on the the chesterfield sofa in the window. Sadly, the large frame T.V was a compromise with my husband and needs to stay, but I am open to changing up any other furniture pieces, as long as it doesn’t create a huge disconnect between rooms. I am never offended by other suggestions to improve the space! So please bring them on. I am a big Marketplace and Auction Sale shopper, so no huge investments in decor, and always welcome your suggestions and expertise. If I am understanding the recommendations correctly, I am okay to have different metal colours and styles of fixtures? I actually like many of fixture suggestions in the posts and it is so hard to pick one. I think the hammered metal options posted by @freedomplace1 would look beautiful with copper colour in rug. Is it okay, if all of the current fixtures in the house are some variation of an antique brass to go with a different metal for this room? I also like this historic apeal of the fixture that rorah suggested, but I can not find a version of this that would be the appropropriate scale for the room. I seem to spend a lot of time fumbling along, going with safer choices room to room for fear of making a bold choice that is a ”miss.” Thank you again so much for images and suggestions!

  • PRO
    2 days ago

    @mcfaddenmichelle Yes, you can absolutely introduce a different metal in this room even if the other fixtures in the house are antique brass. The metals do not have to match exactly — they just need to feel intentional together.

    In your room, a warm aged copper or hammered bronze fixture could work beautifully because it would connect with the copper tones in the rug, the leather chairs, and the warmth of the wood. Antique brass and copper also belong to the same warm metal family, so the transition between rooms should not feel disconnected.

    I would avoid a very bright, polished copper finish and look for something aged, patinated, or softly hammered. You could then repeat that warmer copper tone once or twice in small details — perhaps a decorative object, picture frame, or cushion — without replacing the existing brass elements.

    And I completely understand the fear of making a bold choice that turns out to be a miss. Lighting is especially difficult because scale, height, and finish can look very different in a room than they do in a product photo. If you narrow it down to two or three fixtures, I’d be happy to help you compare which one would suit the room best.

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked Prime Estate Studio
  • PRO
    2 days ago

    What is the ceiling height? It's a bit hard for me to tell in the photos that you posted. I'm leaning toward not having a chandelier but installing a flush mounted fixture with downlight arranged around that.

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked Norwood Architects
  • 2 days ago

    Thank you Norwood and Prime Estate. Ceiling height is just under 10 ft. The house is early 1900’s. The house is full of crystal chandeliers (like 10 ish) currently that due to economics will not be replaced in large scale anytime soon. I am posting/reposting some current lighting that is in the house to give you an idea of the lighting in the house as a whole. There is a large, wide Italian crystal chandelier that is sitting stored in the basement (ignore the awful bulbs) that is an option. I am also including 3 other options that I quite like, including one suggestion from Freedon1 here. Let me know what you think.










  • 2 days ago

    Also, FYI, the LaScala Shonbek that is in the pictures that to be reinstalled in the library after paint is very visable from the living room (pocket door directly off living room).

  • 2 days ago

    What color did you decide to go with in the library? I kind of remember previous post about it.

  • yesterday

    Hellogardener, I decided on color, BM Mysterious for the library (dark blacky blue). The problem is, is that we have too many things on the go at once so I have many paritally completed spaces! My husband won’t budge on the neutral, kind of boring living room paint for right now.

  • 5 hours ago

    With the character of you room and decor, no contest. the first picture of the classical multistemmed chandelier is perfect. high ceiling, drop to finish at 6 ft. it will pull your room together. the eye will take in the whole and pull it together.

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked HU-330004917
  • 5 hours ago

    Ps re multistemmed chandelier to drop to 6 ft…the us the glass type classic as shown in first picture. will also add airiness as well as pull the room together, ie hung in centre of room as shown.

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked HU-330004917
  • 2 hours ago

    I would absolutely use the chandelier you have stored in the bsmt. It is in keeping with the era of your beautiful home. It reminds me of my grandparents home that was built in 1930 in London.

    mcfaddenmichelle thanked Maureen Stover
  • 2 hours ago

    Thank you! The chandelier in the basement is absolutely the most economical choice, lol. Based on the post that describe formula for the size of fixture relative to room size, this fixture has the diameter to supprt room dimensions. There is nothing lost by starting out with a fixture that is already kicking around. I can always change it out if I get tired of all the crystal.

  • 48 minutes ago

    Using Canva or ChatGPT to better visualize options helps so much! Beautiful room.

  • 42 minutes ago

    Oh i would use the fixture from the basement for sure 😍


    you are so lucky to have all the original lighting - our home is 1926 and some a$$hat stripped all the original lighting out of ours and put in recessed fixtures that looked like they belonged in an office - took a lot of effort to get that all fixed