Chandeliers

Chandeliers: Statement Light for Dining Rooms, Foyers and Living Rooms

A chandelier is a ceiling fixture with several lights, arms or tiers that spread out from a central body, designed both to light a room and to be looked at. Where a pendant drops one shade over a spot, a chandelier fills the space around it, which is why it has anchored dining rooms, foyers and formal living rooms for centuries. The candles became bulbs, then LED, but the idea is unchanged: one fixture that sets the tone for the whole room.

Modern chandeliers have moved far beyond branches and teardrops. Today the category includes stacked and interlocking rings of light, clouds of glass globes, sputnik bursts, cascades of crumpled glass that drop through a stairwell, and spider designs hung from rope. They work in Scandinavian and minimalist homes as easily as in traditional ones, as long as size, height and light output match the room.

Our selection of 42 chandeliers leans modern: rings, globes and cascades in glass, acrylic, iron and aluminum, with pieces such as the Interlocking Ring Chandelier with Opal Globes and the Hemp Rope Spider Chandelier. All are hardwired, about 60 percent use integrated LED, and nearly half are listed as dimmable. Most are suited to living rooms and dining rooms, with a smaller group for entryways, stairwells and bedrooms.

Chandelier or Pendant? How to Tell Them Apart

The line can blur, but a useful test is the number of light sources and how they spread. A pendant has one shade or one light, focused downward. A chandelier light has several, arranged around a center, so it lights outward and often upward as well as down. That makes a chandelier the better choice when one fixture must light an entire dining room or foyer, and a pendant the better choice for a tight pool of task light. For single-shade fixtures, browse our pendant lights; for multi-light statements, stay here.

How to Choose a Chandelier

Knowing how to choose a chandelier comes down to four questions, asked in order. Get these right and almost any style will look good:

• Where will it hang? Over a table, in the middle of a room, or in a tall entry, each with its own height rule.
• How big is the space? Room size sets the diameter; ceiling height sets how tall the fixture can be.
• How much light do you need? A chandelier as the only light source needs far more output than one paired with sconces and lamps.
• What does the room already say? Repeat a finish, shape or material already present, such as black window frames, brass hardware or pale wood.

Sizing a Chandelier: Diameter and Height

For a chandelier in the middle of a room, add the room's length and width in feet, and use the total in inches as the chandelier's diameter. A 14 by 16 foot living room suits a fixture about 30 inches wide; a 10 by 12 foot bedroom, about 22 inches. For the fixture's own height, allow roughly 2.5 to 3 inches per foot of ceiling height, so an 8-foot ceiling takes a chandelier about 20 to 24 inches tall and a 10-foot ceiling about 25 to 30 inches. Our large chandeliers are the place to look for great rooms, tall foyers and long tables.

Scale is where most buyers go wrong, almost always on the small side. A fixture that looked huge in its box can seem tiny once it hangs under a 9-foot ceiling. Cut a circle of cardboard or tape a paper outline to the ceiling at the right diameter and live with it for a day. Our guide on how high to hang a chandelier and what size to choose walks through more room shapes and ceiling heights.

Dining Room Chandeliers: Size to the Table

Over a dining table, the table matters more than the room. Choose a chandelier about one half to two thirds the width of the table, and keep at least 6 inches between its edge and the table edge on each side so no one stands up into it. A dining room chandelier over a 42-inch-wide table should therefore be roughly 21 to 28 inches across. For long rectangular tables, oval and linear ring designs, such as the Oval Ring Crystal-Effect Chandelier, follow the shape of the table and spread light along it.

Height is the second rule. Hang a dining chandelier 30 to 36 inches above the tabletop in a room with an 8-foot ceiling, and add about 3 inches for every extra foot of ceiling height. That keeps the light close enough to feel intimate while leaving sight lines clear across the table. Center the fixture on the table rather than the room if the two do not line up. Browse dining room chandeliers for fixtures suited to this role.

Chandeliers for the Living Room and Great Room

A chandelier for living room spaces works as the central ambient source, lighting the room from above while lamps and sconces handle reading and mood. Center it on the seating area or the room, and keep at least 7 feet between the floor and the bottom of the fixture where people walk under it. In great rooms with 12-foot or vaulted ceilings, a chandelier can hang well below the ceiling plane, roughly in the upper third of the room's height, which brings the light down to where people live. See our living room chandeliers for centerpiece options.

Entryways, Foyers and Stairwells

The entry is where an entryway chandelier makes the first impression. In a single-story entry, keep 7 feet of clearance and size the fixture with the length-plus-width rule. In a two-story foyer, hang it so the bottom sits roughly level with the second floor, or center it in a window above the door so it is visible from outside at night. Taller fixtures, tiered rings or cascades fill the vertical space best. Browse entryway and foyer chandeliers for pieces that hold their own in a tall space.

Stairwells suit long, vertical designs. A cascade such as the Crumpled Glass Cascade Chandelier, or a group of globes at staggered heights, lights several steps at once and reads well from both floors. Make sure the lowest point clears every tread by at least 7 feet, and plan how you will reach it to clean or change a bulb before you hang it. For more ideas across the entry, hall and stairs, see our hallway and entryway lighting.

Bedrooms, Kitchens and Lower Ceilings

A bedroom chandelier adds a softer, more romantic glow than a standard ceiling fixture. Center it on the room or over the foot of the bed, keep it dimmable, and choose a design with diffused or shielded lights so no one stares into bare bulbs from the pillow. A small chandelier, around 16 to 22 inches across, suits most bedrooms; browse bedroom chandeliers to compare sizes. In a kitchen, a chandelier can replace pendants over a table or island at the same 30 to 36 inch height.

Low ceilings do not rule out a chandelier; they just change its shape. A flush-style chandelier, such as the Starburst Flush Mount Chandelier, gives the sparkle of a multi-light fixture without the drop. If even that is too much, our flush mount ceiling lights offer close-to-ceiling designs for 8-foot rooms.

Modern Chandelier Styles: Rings, Sputnik, Globes and Cascades

Modern chandeliers make up most of our range, and they fall into a few clear families. Ring designs, such as the Multi-Ring Chandelier and the Staggered Ring Chandelier, draw clean circles of light; explore them in ring chandeliers. A sputnik chandelier radiates arms in every direction, a mid-century shape that works in dining rooms and lofts; see sputnik chandeliers. Globe and cloud designs, such as the Glass Globe Cloud Chandelier, scatter soft spheres of light, and cascades drop in layers through tall spaces.

Natural and rustic touches are rarer but striking. The Hemp Rope Spider Chandelier pairs rope with exposed lights for an industrial or farmhouse room, while fabric and opal glass diffusers soften the light in Scandinavian and minimalist spaces. If you love the sparkle of a crystal chandelier, glass and crystal-effect designs bring that shimmer in a lighter, more contemporary form; compare them in glass chandeliers.

Materials and Care

Glass is the most common material in our chandeliers, from opal globes to crumpled and clear shades, followed by acrylic, which gives a similar look with less weight and less risk of breakage. Iron and aluminum form most frames, and a few designs add fabric or rope. Chandeliers gather dust faster than most fixtures because of their many surfaces, so a light clean every month or two keeps them bright.

• Turn off the power and let the lights cool before you touch the fixture.
• Glass and acrylic: wipe with a microfiber cloth and a little glass cleaner sprayed on the cloth, never on the fixture.
• Metal frames: a dry or slightly damp soft cloth, with no abrasive pads.
• Fabric and rope: a soft brush or vacuum brush attachment, kept dry.
• Tall ceilings: use a sturdy ladder and a helper, or a long-handled duster between full cleans.

Bulbs, Lumens and Dimming

About 60 percent of our chandeliers use integrated LED, with the light built into rings, discs or globes and no bulbs to change, which is a real advantage on a high ceiling. The rest take E12 candelabra bulbs, E26 medium bulbs, or small G9 and G4 capsules. Candelabra sockets are the classic choice for chandeliers with many small lights, while E26 gives more brightness per socket. Our guide to E26 vs E12 bulb bases explains which one your fixture needs and how to match bulbs.

Chandelier lighting should almost always be dimmable. A fixture bright enough to light a dining room for homework is far too bright for dinner, and a foyer chandelier at full power late at night is harsh. Nearly half of our chandeliers are listed as dimmable. With bulb-based fixtures, use dimmable LED bulbs and an LED-compatible dimmer; with integrated LED, check the product page. For warmth, stay at 2700 to 3000 K.

How to Install and Hang a Chandelier

Learning how to install a chandelier starts with the ceiling box. Use a ceiling box rated for the chandelier's weight, and for fixtures over about 50 pounds, a box and brace listed for that load. Turn off the breaker, test the wires, and have a helper hold the fixture or hang it from a temporary hook while you connect black to black, white to white and ground to ground. Set the chain or rod length before the final connection, then secure the canopy. Because of their weight and height, many people hire a licensed electrician for chandeliers, and that is the right call for any new box or a two-story foyer.

On chain-hung fixtures, the wire is usually woven through every few links of the chain so it stays discreet and does not hang in loops. Remove the links you do not need with pliers, weave the wire through the chain from the fixture up, and leave enough slack to reach the box comfortably. Check the instructions for your fixture first, since some are designed to run the wire alongside the chain instead.

Layering a Chandelier with Sconces and Accent Light

A chandelier rarely needs to light a room alone. In a dining room, pair it with wall sconces on the sideboard wall so the chandelier can be dimmed for dinner while the walls keep a soft glow. In a living room, add lamps for reading and spotlights for art. Keep the color temperature consistent across every source and put the chandelier on its own dimmer. For a complete plan, our dining room lighting page brings chandeliers, pendants and sconces together, and the wider ceiling lights collection covers the rest of the house.

Chandelier Mistakes to Avoid

• Too small: an undersized chandelier is the most common mistake, so check the length-plus-width rule.
• Hung too high over the table: above 36 inches in an 8-foot room, it floats away from the meal.
• Not centered on the table: center on the table, not the room, and use a swag hook or move the box if needed.
• No dimmer: full brightness is rarely right for dinner or late evenings.
• An unrated box: a heavy fixture on a standard box is a safety risk.
• Bare bulbs at eye level: in bedrooms and low rooms, choose shielded or diffused lights.

FAQ: Chandeliers

What is the best chandelier for my home?

The best chandelier is the one sized and styled for its room: a diameter close to the room's length plus width in feet, read as inches, a finish that repeats something already in the room, and enough dimmable light. For dining rooms, size it to the table; for low ceilings, choose a flush-style design.

How do you choose a chandelier?

Decide where it will hang, then size it to the room or table, check that the fixture's height suits the ceiling, and estimate how much light it must provide. Finally, pick a style and finish that echo the room, and make sure it can be dimmed.

How do you measure for a chandelier?

Measure the room's length and width in feet and add them to get the ideal diameter in inches. Measure the ceiling height and allow 2.5 to 3 inches of fixture height per foot. Over a table, measure the table width and choose a fixture one half to two thirds of it.

What size chandelier for a dining room?

Size a dining room chandelier to the table: about one half to two thirds of the table's width, with at least 6 inches of clearance from each table edge. A 42-inch-wide table suits a chandelier 21 to 28 inches across. Long tables suit oval, linear or ring designs.

How high should a chandelier hang over a dining table?

Hang it 30 to 36 inches above the tabletop with an 8-foot ceiling, measured to the bottom of the fixture. Add about 3 inches for every additional foot of ceiling height, so a 10-foot ceiling puts it around 36 to 42 inches above the table.

How do you install a chandelier?

Turn off the breaker, confirm the power is off, and make sure the ceiling box is rated for the fixture's weight. Support the chandelier with a helper or temporary hook, connect black to black, white to white and ground to ground, set the chain length and secure the canopy. Hire a licensed electrician for heavy fixtures or new boxes.

How high should you hang a chandelier in a foyer or living room?

Where people walk underneath, keep the bottom at least 7 feet above the floor. In a two-story foyer, hang it roughly level with the second floor or centered in the window above the door. In a great room with a tall ceiling, place it in the upper third of the room's height.

How do you weave wire through a chandelier chain?

Remove the extra chain links with pliers, then thread the fixture wire in and out of the links every two or three links, working from the fixture up toward the canopy. Leave enough slack at the top to reach the ceiling box, and follow the instructions if your fixture routes the wire differently.

Does a chandelier need a special ceiling box?

It needs a box rated for its weight. Standard boxes suit most lightweight fixtures, but heavier chandeliers, generally over 50 pounds, need a box and brace listed for that load and fixed to the framing. If you are unsure what is in your ceiling, have a licensed electrician check before you hang it.

Where can I buy chandeliers?

Lighting stores and online shops both sell chandeliers; choose one that lists the diameter, height, weight, bulb base and dimming details so you can check fit before ordering. Our chandeliers collection groups designs by room, style, finish and size to help you narrow the choice.

Explore More Chandeliers by Style, Finish and Room

Start with the look. Modern chandeliers cover rings, globes and cascades with clean lines, and ring chandeliers are the choice when you want soft, even light from a sculptural circle over a round table or a seating area. Then match the finish to the room: black chandeliers draw a graphic outline against a white ceiling and suit industrial or farmhouse rooms, gold chandeliers warm up dining rooms and entries with a soft shine, and white chandeliers almost disappear by day and glow at night in Scandinavian and minimalist spaces.

Finally, plan the room around the fixture. A chandelier is the anchor, but it shares the job with lamps, sconces and accent lights, and our living room lighting page shows how those layers fit together under one centerpiece.

A Centerpiece for the Evening

A chandelier is the fixture people remember, so Aftensol chooses ones that look composed in daylight and come alive after dark: glowing rings, soft glass globes and natural textures that spread warm, dimmable light. Measure the room, the table and the ceiling, use the rules above, and check each product page for diameter, height, weight, bulb base and dimming before you choose. Every order ships free, with 30-day returns.

Keep exploring: dining room chandeliers · large chandeliers · entryway chandeliers