Chandelier Focal Point For Dining Room

Dear Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee,

We bought a new dining table and chairs, but now the dining room needs more a little something more. Would a chandelier be good addition to the decor?

Signed,

Dining decor dilemma

Dear Dining decor dilemma,

A crystal chandelier would be a lovely addition to your formal dining room. A beautiful chandelier enhances the room and is often the focal point.

Chandelier size is important so as to not overwhelm the room. Make sure that the chandelier does not hang down too far or people will bump their heads.

Waterford crystal manufacture (www.waterford.com) offers these guidelines for selecting the correct size chandelier by type of room.

Dining Rooms

1. For an 8-foot ceiling install the chandelier 30 inches above the table and about 34 inches for taller ceilings

2. Choose a chandelier that has a diameter one-half the width of the table over which it will hang.

3. For a banquet-style table in an elongated or oversized dining room, two or more chandeliers will work better than one.

4. The height of a chandelier should be about 3 inches per foot of the room height. Therefore, an 8-foot ceiling would have a 24 inch high chandelier.

Foyer

The size for an entrance fixture is calculated from the room size of the foyer. It is based off the ceiling size, as in many cases, the foyer is also part of the living room or a stairway.

1. The chandelier should be at least 7 feet from the floor. If you would like to hang the chandelier high, then line up the bottom tier of candles with the balcony.

2. The width of the fixture should be 1 inch per each foot of the ceiling width (measured diagonally).

3. The height of a fixture should be at about 3 inches per foot of the room height.

Living Rooms and Bedrooms

1. Add the room dimensions in feet and refer to them as inches. For example, if the room is 20 by 20 feet, then add those numbers together to get 40. You should select a chandelier with a minimum 40 inch diameter.

2. If your ceiling is high then you can add up to six inches or you can go even bigger if the ceiling is very high.

3. If your space is narrow, then do not use this formula. Instead, you should consider two or more smaller chandeliers.

For more information, see www.waterford.com