Chandeliers - Sizing, Lighting and Dressing Them Up

Chandeliers are ancient. These were decorative fixtures back in the 16th century whose main purpose was to symbolize class and wealth. Only the upper class could afford chandeliers, and these were elaborately done at a huge cost of material and labor. Like every luxury, chandeliers are affordable today and elegant to boot. Single family homes mostly have at least one chandelier. There are wide ranges in size (and cost) to choose from. Even mini chandeliers are available for smaller rooms and nursery rooms, or for apartments with low ceilings.
Furthermore, LED candelabra bulbs that mimic the shape and light spectrum of traditional warm light bulbs cut your electricity costs by a tenth! A twelve bulb medium sized chandelier using traditional 25-watt bulbs consumes 300 watts an hour vs a 3 W LED setup consuming 35 watts an hour, so you don't have to worry about letting it glow throughout the evening.

Crystal Chandelier

A crystal chandelier, as the name suggests, has crystal or crystal like machined pieces making up the design. Swarovski crystals are considered best, but are also expensive. Glass crystals are affordable and are almost as glamorous as Swarovski. The charm of a crystal chandelier is vintage and elegant. There are also very modern designs made with crystals today - combining with chrome, different hues such as black crystals and more.

Contemporary Chandelier

The cutting-edge technology used to make contemporary chandeliers differentiates them from other types of ceiling lighting. Manufacturers use fashionable and bold designs to create a sophisticated look suitable for modern homes. If you want the edginess of Art Deco, ultra-modern design, or something in between classic and modern, this is for you.

Rustic Chandelier

Aside from glass and crystals, manufacturers also used other types of materials for chandeliers. Common materials used are wood, shells, and stones. This light fixture creates a warm and cozy ambiance. You often find these light fixtures in mountain cabins, country farmhouses, and beachfront cottages.

Choosing the Right Size Chandelier based on Room Size

Chandeliers are perfect for homes with high ceilings. Smaller chandeliers are ideal for smaller rooms such as your bedroom, dining or nursery. To make sure your chandelier is proportional to your room size, just add the length and breadth of the room and the total should be approximately equal to the chandelier width in inches - for example - an average room of 14 x 10 feet will need a chandelier of 24 inches (14 + 10) wide while a high ceiling entryway room that is 18 x 16 feet can accommodate a 32 inch (18+16) wide chandelier. Similarly, a thumb rule for the height of a chandelier is to multiply ceiling height by 3 and take the result as inches - an 8-foot ceiling can take 24-inch tall chandelier (8 x 3).

Most chandeliers come with about 6 feet chain, and you can get longer chains if needed. Just take care to not lower it less than 7 feet from the ground and if you are hanging over a dining table, leave about 30-35 inches from the table top and about 1 foot inside the edges of the table.

These are ballparks, and you can go a few inches off the calculation.

Dressing up a chandelier

Most chandeliers are naked, in the sense that the bulbs are bare. But you can also add a ton of style with chandelier shades - small shades that sit on top of the bulbs. A shade also provides scope for so much designing as you can see in our store - there are many with roses, feathers, sashes and so on. Plus the shades can be replaced pretty easily to completely change the style of the chandelier and the look of the room. These styles are most appropriate for bedrooms and your kids' rooms, but you can also think of ways to add that elegance to your main chandelier. Look at how different these four crystal chandeliers look - only the shades have changed.

Do you know you can also cover the chain and wire with chandelier cords? Made of satin or dupioni fabric, this is a sheath in the form of a tube that covers the chain. It is extra long to give a ruffled look and really makes it beautiful, particularly for chandeliers with shades.