A wonderful way of making a dining room stand out and look sophisticated is by decorating it with a stunning chandelier. Choosing the right chandelier for the room, however, is not exactly a walk in the park. There are many details to take into consideration before you can narrow it down to a few models and even then it’s hard to pick one. Hopefully, our tips can help you.

Measure the room

The first thing you need to do before even browsing chandeliers in stores or online is to measure the room. This will help you avoid overwhelming the space with a large chandelier or pick a light fixture that’s too small and doesn’t stand out at all. Generally, large dining rooms could definitely use a large chandelier but there are also exceptions so be open-minded about this.

Measure the table

Although the size of the room is very important, the table plays a key role in this whole process of choosing a chandelier. So make sure you measure the dining table and also consider its size before picking the light fixture that will be displayed above it. You want the chandelier to be nicely proportioned in relation to the table.

Pick a style

When it comes to style, the general direction is to choose a chandelier that matches the room’s décor. But there are cases when the design is eclectic or not particularly well-defined. So you could choose to display a vintage or retro chandelier in a modern dining room if you want to create a contrast in the room or if you want it to draw attention to the ceiling in a rather unusual way.

Pick the right spot

The best place to hang a chandelier in a dining room is above the table. This can sometimes pose problems as most light fixtures are positioned at the center of the ceiling. You can overcome this difficult in more than one way. The simplest of all involves mounting a hook on the ceiling and using it to reposition the fixture directly above the dining table.

Pick a number

That’s right, you can ave more than one chandelier in the dining room if you think it’s necessary or that it will look good. For example, if you have a long dining table, two smaller chandelier nicely displayed above it in a symmetrical way can look better than a single large one at the center.

How much light do you need in the room?

In order to determine how much light a chandelier needs to offer you need to take into consideration things like the size of the room, the size of the table, its shape, the distance between the table and the chandelier (usually around 30”), the amount of natural light that enters the room and your lifestyle and preferences. If you prefer a soft glow there’s no need for a huge chandelier or one with lots of bulbs. In any case, it’s a good idea to also opt for dimmer switches.