Size matters. The size of your room and dining table will make a different in not only the chandelier's look once installed but the amount of light that it does (or does not) produce to your room in the end.
There are 3 things you need to focus on when it comes to choosing a chandelier that it perfect for your space.
CHOOSING A CHANDELIER | FOCAL POINTS
1. Size
Fixtures should be large enough to fit the space properly but small enough to not take over the available space. If your fixture is too large for your table or seems too small in the room, it will not give the desired outcome that you're needing.
- Rule #1: Minimum Size The width and length of the room added together, is the minimum size necessary. If your room is 12 ft. by 10ft., when added together you get 22 ft. Simply replace the ft. with in. and your room needs at least a 22" fixture.
- Rule #2: Maximum Size The fixture's width (or diameter) should be 12" less than the width of your dining room table. Think about it this way: you wouldn't want to bang your head on it standing up from the table.
2. Style
Fixtures should complement and enhance your home's current or desired style. If your house was built in the early 1900s with all of its original details, a modern and sleek fixture might "stick out like a sore thumb" in a way that you may not like in the end.
- Traditional A welcome from the older, outdated traditional style to one that is simpler and more subtle. Dramatic detail, relaxed luxury vibes, from tufting and piping to fringe.
- Contemporary An ever changing and improving style. Focused on lines and smooth surfaces with an open window to minimal accessories, neutrals with hints of color, mixed textures and materials, topped off with lots of light.
- Transitional A rising blend between the traditional style with the contemporary trends.
- Mid-Century Modern The era of split-level homes and sliding glass doors blended into today's time. These abstract and asymmetrical patterns, combined with mixed materials, natural elements, and sleek, simple designs.
- Modern Farmhouse The true blended mixture that offers a high contrast of light and dark. A natural palette of raw materials and clean lines, topped with vintage accessories.
- Refined Industrial Old factories and 20th-century buildings refined to an utilitarian inspired design with worn textures and simples nods to nature.
- Art Deco Bold, shiny and sleek. Angular yet streamlined. Focuses on geometric patterns, metallic finishes, modern materials, and an overall focus on 'big and bold.'
- Nautical Coastal The ability to withstand the ever-changing moods of the sea and elements with a classic, often vintage look that can ride the waves. Embodies the soul of living waterside.
3. Effectiveness of light
Fixtures, when turned on, should properly illuminate the desired space as intended. Larger dining rooms not only have the space for larger fixtures, but they also have a larger need for more light. While one fixture can light a small table, it may only light a third of a larger table. Sizing will help judge the fixture's size while the bulb count and type of bulb in the fixture will help to judge the light output (lumens), overall color of the bulb (Kelvin temperature), and whether or not the fixture will work with or without lighting layers (additional light sources in the room).
- Lighting Layers If a dining room has a chandelier, recessed cans, and track lighting, it is said to have three lighting layers. The first lighting layer is the chandelier that provides task lighting to the table itself. The recessed cans are the second layer, providing an overall ambient lighting to the entire room. The final layer is the track lighting that most likely adds light to the wall art, family photos, or other accent pieces in the room. Not all homes come with multiple layers in a single room.
- Lumens are the way we measure the light output from fixtures (and/or their light bulbs). The larger the lumen count, the brighter the light will shine, meaning more space will be covered.
- Kelvin Temperature is also known as the color of the bulb. When turned on, does your room have a more yellow appearance or is it more blue? If you think of the lighting in your bathroom as opposed to the romantic restaurant you often visit, you'll notice that the restroom will have a whiter light while the restaurant focuses on the warmer tones to provide atmosphere to the space. Each bulb works well in its designated atmosphere, but a bathroom with only one option of moody lighting or a restaurant with only bright, white light, may not be effective in their desired atmospheres.
Tips | Things to know beforehand
1. Measure your dining room and table to know the exact minimum and maximum sizes to shop for. Filtering these sizes will help to only shop for eligible options.
2. Determine your style to ensure the fixture you shop for will fit this style. With thousands of fixtures on the market, narrowing your search will help to avoid overwhelming shopping experiences.
3. Make note of the current bulbs that are currently in your fixture with your ideal color. Is your room currently too dark or too yellow? Be sure to check that your replacement fixture will fix this and not give the same results. It will help if you already know what you have to determine if you like it or don't like it. This sets a starting point for our recommendations.
4. Change any furniture and/or wall paint color first, if you are already planning to make those changes. We recommend making all of those changes prior to your lighting to ensure you have the correct size, placement, color, and style for your desired outcome.
