Where to Hang a Chandelier (Expert Decorating Tips)

Here, I’ll show you where to hang a chandelier, including tips I use for decorating with these lighting fixtures and methods to calculate the right size for your home.

Tips for Decorating with Chandeliers

General Tips for all Areas 

• Add 3 inches of height for every foot ceiling if you have a vertical clearance that’s higher than 9 feet. 

• A tiered chandelier can reduce its visual mass in a room and not overwhelm a space. 

• If you have a heavy fixture, use a brace instead of a swag hook. 

• Chandeliers usually come with 10 feet of wire and 6 feet of chain. 

Common Areas: 

• Dining – 30” to 36” from table top to bottom of chandelier for an 8’ ceiling height. 

• Living Room – 7 feet from the floor. 

• Kitchen Island – 32” to 34” above a kitchen counter. 

• Open Foyer (Two-storey foyer) – Eye level or slightly below when viewed from the second floor. 

Hanging Chandelier’s In Social Spaces

Chandeliers have been gracing gathering spaces for decades, and with newer designs, you can place a luminaire virtually in any functional space and style.

Dining Room

• Assign a vertical clearance of 30” to 36” from the dining table’s surface to the bottom of the light fixture. 

• Another method in determining the size of the chandelier is that the width should be ¾ the width of the table. So, for instance, a 60” wide table will have a 45” wide fixture.

• Aligning the chandelier at the center of the dining table is the most aesthetically pleasing location of the luminaire because it creates symmetry. 

Living Room

• Assign a vertical clearance of 7 feet from the finished floor line to the bottom of the chandelier.

Visit our gallery of living room chandelier here.

Kitchen

• Most kitchen islands are placed at the center of the room and are a working space perfect for a lighting fixture. Visually, a 32” to 34” vertical space installation between the kitchen island and the bottom of the chandelier works well.

Visit our kitchen chandelier lighting styles and ideas on this page.

Hanging Chandelier’s In Circulation Areas

A circulation area is a place that gets heavy foot traffic from family and guests. You can amp up the look of stairs, hallways, and a foyer with an elegant lighting fixture. 

Foyer

• If you have a two-story foyer, place the fixture at eye level or slightly below when viewed from the second floor. 

Stairs

• A perfect showcase of grandeur is a spiral staircase with a chandelier above or place the luminaire above the midway landing.

• Cascading chandeliers are great for filling in high ceilings that you can mount above a spiral, circular, and even open well staircase.

• For bifurcated stairs, empire chandeliers have always been the perfect match for the traditional grand staircase.

Chandelier’s In Unusual Areas

These unusual areas do not first come to mind when you think about hanging chandeliers. However, their addition to the room can still greatly enhance the look and feel and add an abundance of style.

Bedroom

• Place the luminaire directly above the bed, centered vertically and horizontally, to create symmetry in the room. 

• If you have an expansive bedroom and higher vertical space, placing it at the center of the bedroom creates a focal point.

• Placing above the side tables creates balance and provides extra lighting when reading at night. Opting for a light fixture with a dimmer can also provide you with more flexibility.

• You can place the lighting fixture above to highlight the space when you have a lounge or seating area. Like carpets and area rugs, lighting fixtures can define spaces, especially for large bedrooms that are composed of different areas.

• Off-center placement of the fixture just above a vanity or club chair in your bedroom can add visual interest to the room. Make sure, though, that it doesn’t compete with the bedroom’s main feature, which is the bed area, but rather complements the sleeping space.

Laundry Room

• An element of surprise in a mundane room, such as the laundry, can elevate the look and feel of the space. 

• Choose a damp-rated light fixture in the laundry room to ensure the wiring and electrical components are safe from rust or corrosion due to the moist and wet environment. 

• Secure your luminaire. Ensure the connections are anchored and attached well to prevent the fixture from falling. 

Office

• Choose a statement piece that you can place above your table. Your fixture should be around half of the width to ¾ of your table width.

• An office space, whether at home or in your place of business, can benefit from a statement piece. Psychologically, it helps you focus and gives you that feeling of being in control. It also gives a professional impression to clients.

• Place two parallel chandeliers above your conference or meeting area. If you have a large office, the luminaires are great for adding interest to your ceiling while adding lighting to the functional space.

Nursery

• A kid’s playroom or nursery is a perfect place to add a charming chandelier. With its waif and soft texture, the fringe or tassel shade can cascade beautifully above a nursery. 

• The safest place to mount your lighting fixture is at the center of your nursery room, away from the crib. 

• A chandelier above the crib is still possible as long as you have securely mounted your fixture. You can also add a canopy curtain cascading from your lighting fixture.

Bathroom

• Create that opulent look with the statement piece just above your bathtub. However, secure your lighting base and choose a damp-proof product. 

• If you have a high ceiling in your bathroom, you can add a pair of small-sized chandeliers above your vanity. However, be mindful of the possible glare the luminaires can produce, especially when opposite a mirror.

Visit our bathroom chandelier ideas on this page.

Walk-in Closet

• Inspired by the boutique-like walk-in closets, these fixtures at the center of the room can add to the space’s ambiance. 

Visit our closet chandelier ideas here.

South Areas 

In Feng shui, placing chandeliers with crystal elements can create balance in space and is associated with positive energy.          

What’s the Rule of Thumb for Hanging a Chandelier? 

When hanging your chandelier above a dining table, a good rule of thumb is to make sure your fixture is one-half to three-quarters the width of your table.

A good vertical clearance between the fixture and the finished floor line is 7 feet for all types of rooms. 

How do You Know if a Chandelier is Too Big for the Room?

Anyone with a good eye can instantly determine if a chandelier is too small or too large in a room. However, there are methods to help you get calculated dimensions other than visual inspection. 

Method 1: 

Chandelier Width: 

Step 1: Measure the length of the room. 

Step 2: Measure the width of the room.

Step 3: Get the total width of the room in feet. 

Step 4: The total width in feet of the room will be the total width of the fixture transmuted into inches. 

For instance, you get an 18 feet by 15 feet room. Thus, the width of the chandelier is 33 inches 

• Small: 13” to 22” 
• Medium: 23” to 30” 
• Large: 31” or larger 

Chandelier Height:

Step 1: Measure the height of the room times three. 

Step 2: The result of the multiplied room height is transmuted to inches, which will become the suggested chandelier height. 

However, note that the height should be proportional to the existing elements, such as furniture.

Method 2:

The chandelier width is equal to ¾ of the table width. So, for instance, a 60” wide table will have a 45” wide fixture. 

See more related content in our article about the types of chandeliers on this page.