A chandelier's height can affect a dinner party.
The height of a lighting fixture over a table can make or break a dining room. A chandelier should be low enough to cast gentle light around the room, but not so low that it blocks a diner's view across the table. The standard height is 30 inches between the tabletop and the bottom of the chandelier or pendant. Several factors, however, such as fixture size and ceiling height, can affect placement.
Standard Height
The typical ceiling is 8 feet high. The 30-inch rule between chandelier and tabletop applies here, according to Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook. But for a room with a 9-foot ceiling, the distance should be closer to 33 inches, the handbook recommends. A delicate chandelier can be hung lower than a heavier piece. A heavy chandelier may be hung at 36 inches from the table.
Chandeliers
Home Decorators Collection.com recommends at least 3 feet of space between the tabletop and chandelier. This allows adequate space for centerpieces, candlesticks, flower arrangements and tall serving bowls. Hanging a chandelier higher than 36 inches is acceptable if your ceilings are very high, Home Decorators advises.
Contemporary Pendants
One exception to the 30- or 36-inch rule is the contemporary pendant lamp. These lamps are designed to be low to the table, giving them a modern look, according to Alluminare, a lighting supply distributor. A pendant lamp should be 28 to 32 inches from the tabletop to the bottom the pendant. A larger table, however, can support a pendant hanging higher. A smaller table looks best with a low-hanging pendant. If the lightbulbs are visible at the bottom of the pendant, add a diffuser to cover them.
Mistakes
The height of a lighting fixture over a dining table can affect the mood of the room, according to the New York Times Home & Garden Section. Columnist Tim McKeough writes that a too-high fixture makes a room seem dark, requiring additional lights and eliminating the cozy, intimate feeling. Conversely, a fixture hanging too low can make the room seem crowded. No matter how high the fixture hangs, install a dimmer switch to change the light levels.
Style Considerations
Danielle Galland, interior designer and instructor at Parsons the New School for Design, says the distance between table and fixture can vary, depending on the style of the chandelier, not the ceiling height. The standard height is 30 inches between tabletop and bottom of the pendant lamp, regardless of ceiling height, according to Galland. But a very large fixture, for example, may look better hanging as high as 42 inches above the table. Diners should not be looking at a bulb when they sit down, she advises.
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