The Complete Chandelier Sizing Guide

Are you thinking of buying a new chandelier? Then it’s important for you to know the measurements of the space where you’re planning to use it!

Keeping everything in proportion is crucial because a too-small chandelier will look puny in your room while a too-big chandelier will totally overwhelm the room. Plus, if you buy something that’s too big or too small, you’ll have to return it—so why not avoid all that?

Our chandelier sizing guide will help you get the perfect fixture to fit your style and your home.

First, think about where you want to put your chandelier. Are you going to put it over a table or use it as overall light in a room? You’ll need to look at different measurements depending on where the chandelier is going to hang.

Chandelier sizing over a table

If you’re hanging a chandelier over a table, measure how wide your table is in inches. Then look for chandeliers that are between 66% and 75% of that width. (Tip: Not good at figuring out percentages in your head? Search for “percentage calculator” on your search engine of choice!)

Hang your chandelier 30 to 36 inches above the table. That way, you won’t bump your head on it or have it shining directly in your eyes when you’re sitting down for a good meal.

Got a long dining room table? Try using 2 chandeliers over it! If you do that, look for fixtures that are 33% of the length of the table. (Say you have a table that’s 5 feet, or 60 inches, long. You’d look for two 20-inch chandeliers.) When hanging those chandeliers, mentally—or physically, with painter’s tape—split the table in half. Then hang the chandeliers over the center of each “half” of the table.

Chandelier sizing in a room

If you’re hanging a chandelier to light a whole room, measure the width and length of the room in feet. Then, add the two numbers together. What you get will be a good size, in inches, for a chandelier.

So let’s say you have a room that is 8 feet by 10 feet. An 18-inch wide chandelier will work there.

You’ll also want to find an ideal height for your chandelier. Take the room’s height, in feet, and multiply it by both 2.5 and 3. You’ll get two numbers that equal a good range for chandelier heights in inches.

Let’s say that your 8 foot by 10 foot room has a 10 foot ceiling. That room’s chandelier height range is between 25 and 30.

Hang your chandelier 7 feet above the floor. Got a really tall ceiling? Use longer lengths of chain or downrod to ensure the chandelier isn’t up too high!

Things to consider

You may need to hang your chandelier a little bit higher, like if you have tall people in your house or there’s a sight line obstruction that you’d rather not have. That’s OK!

Larger-size chandeliers are pretty popular right now, so if you want to go a few inches larger than the recommended size for your space, that should be fine.

If you’re dreaming of having a chic chandelier hanging over your soaking tub, heads up! The National Electric Code requires 8 feet between the highest point of your bathtub’s walls and the lowest point of the chandelier. You may also have local building codes that restrict or even ban this practice. If your heart is set on a bathtub chandelier, talk to a licensed electrician who knows the rules for your area.

Need chandelier sizing advice? Comment here, call us at 1-866-688-3562 or email [email protected]!