Of all the lighting choices for a room, a chandelier often makes the most dazzling statement. Whether it is a traditional crystal chandelier or a contemporary globe, chandeliers raise the eyes and crown the room's decor.
Chandeliers can be used in a small room as well as a large one — from the dining area to the powder room. Proportion is key. Many people are not sure how to choose the right-size chandelier and tend to buy one that's too small.
All rules can and should be broken, but there is one golden rule that designers use for finding the right proportion for a chandelier when the ceiling is 9 to 12 feet high. Take the width of the room and double it in inches. For example, if the room is 18 feet wide, then the chandelier should be 36 inches wide.
When ceiling height is 8 feet or lower, a method for gauging how large or small the chandelier is the size of the table. The key is to subtract 12 inches from the width of the table. For instance, if the table is 36 inches round or wide, subtract 12 inches. The chandelier would then be 24 inches wide.
How high off the table should a chandelier be hung? Chandeliers are placed 30 to 36 inches above the top of the table, depending on the ceiling height.
If the ceiling is higher than 8 feet, multi-tiers can be used to go higher to fill the visual space. Higher ceilings demand the "36 inches or more above the table" rule.
Another rule of decorator thumb: A chandelier in a very large dining room can never be larger than the width of the table.
Making sure a chandelier is correctly installed is imperative. Sometimes this might require anchoring the fixture to a structural support as well as to the junction box. If not, your chandelier might very well crown a guest instead of the room.
As with all overhead lighting, chandeliers should be connected to dimmers to control the lighting and ambience. Shades on the lights of the candelabra are also helpful to avoid glare.
Even though many think of chandeliers for the dining room, they can be used in any room, including bedrooms and foyers. They are especially effective in rooms that need an enhancement in character, such as a powder room or a hallway.
Crystal chandeliers are especially effective in brightening a room. The crystals refract the light, bouncing off each other, which expands the light in the room. The light literally floats around the room, becoming a crown that enhances everything in the space.
Based on each room's use and activities, the homeowner needs to consider other lighting choices when decorating each area of the home. Recessed lighting, as well as tabletop and floor lamps, is often used to enhance a room's ambience and practicality.
Choices of lighting attached to the ceiling include surface-mounted lighting; pendants, which are mounted, but off the ceiling, usually with a shade or globe; and lanterns, which drop lower than pendants and can be made of glass, steel or metal — for example, task lighting above a kitchen island.
Chandeliers are more formal and traditionally larger and more elaborate than other lighting choices.
Consider a chandelier as part of your lighting selection because this definitely will make your guests ooh and ahhh.
Correctly sized, chandeliers add a dramatic statement to any room and complement every decor, from classic to contemporary.
Joseph Pubillones is the owner of Joseph Pubillones Interiors, an award-winning interior design firm based in Palm Beach, Florida. To find out more about Joseph Pubillones, or to read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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