Dear Melissa:
I bought a new chandelier and an electrician hung it for me. Now my friends tell me it’s too high. I don’t know who is right. Are there any rules for this? W.S., East Haven, CT
Dear W.:
Let’s call them guidelines. We'll start with the basics. There are two types of chandelier installations: as general lighting in a room and directly over a table. In the former situation, the width of a chandelier should be equal in inches to what the diagonal of the room measures in feet; e.g., one needs a 24” wide chandelier in a room that measures 24 feet from one corner diagonally across to the opposite corner. (Good luck to those of you with open floor plans.) Make sure the chandelier will clear the head of your tallest friend or relative. Since the goal is not to knock a person unconscious, the higher the chandelier is hung, the better. Cords and chains are easily shortened and lengthened.
When placing a chandelier over a table, the chandelier should be hung as low as possible, while still allowing people seated around the table to see each other. Keeping in mind my favorite rule of thumb that heads and chandeliers do not mix, the chandelier should hang no lower than 30” above the tabletop. The width of the chandelier should be about 12 inches smaller in diameter than the smallest table dimension; e.g., use a 24” chandelier for a table that measures 36” X 48”.
Again, these are only guidelines. Aesthetics may require some modifications. A very heavy-looking chandelier may need to be smaller, while a very light and airy chandelier may have to be larger to look proportionate. Since you're going to shell out some serious cash, take it home from the store and hold it up to see how it looks, before installing it. M.A.K.
