Dining tables are of different lengths and width. The light fixture of only a certain length and width can look good when hanged above dining table.
Sizing of lights over rectangular dining table
Sizing chandelier
To size a chandelier over a rectangular dining table divide the length of the dining table by 2. The result gives the width of chandelier over dining table in inches (if the length is less than 60″ ) and if the length of the dining table is greater than 60″, the result gives the length of linear chandelier over dining table.
| Rectangular Dining table size | Seats | Chandelier size |
|---|---|---|
| 30″ x 42″ | 2 seats | 15″ wide |
| 30″ x 60″ | 4 – 6 seats | 30 ” wide |
| 36″ x 72″ | 6 – 8 seats | 36″ long and 10″ wide (length of linear chandelier) |
| 43″ x 96″ | 8 – 10 seats | 48″ long and 12″ wide(linear chandelier) |
| 55″ x 120″ | 10 – 12 seats | 60″ long and 14″ wide ( linear chandelier) |
Sizing pendant lights
The size pendant lights over a dining table is determined by the configuration in which the pendant lights are to be installed. If only one pendant light is to be installed then just like a chandelier half the length of dining table is equal to the width of chandelier.
If two pendant light are installed over dining table then divide the length of the dining table by 4 to get the width of individual pendant lights.
Whereas if 3 pendant lights are installed over the dining table then simply divide the length of dining table in inches by 8 to get the width of each pendant lights.
And lastly if pendant lights are used in a 4 lights configuration then the length of the table is divided by 10 to get the width of individual pendant lights.
| Dining table size | pendant lights configuration | pedant lights size |
|---|---|---|
| 30″ x 40″ | 1 light configuration. | 15″ wide |
| 30″ x 60″ | 2 lights configuration | 15 ” wide each |
| 36″ x 72″ | 2 or 3 lights configuration. | 36″ wide each (for 2 lights configuration) or 9″ wide each (for 3 lights conf.) |
| 43.2″ x 96″ | 3 or 4 lights configuration. | 12″ wide (in 3 light conf.) or 9.6″ wide (in 4 lights configuration.) |
| 54″ x 120″ | 4 lights configuration. | 12″ wide |
Sizing of chandelier over circular dining table
To size a chandelier over a circular dining table a good rule of thumb is to divide the diameter of the dining table in feet by 2. The result is width of chandelier in feets.
For example if the diameter of circular dining table is 4 feet. Then the width of chandelier installed over the dining table will be 2 feet. i.e 4/2 = 2 feet wide.
The table below compiles different diameters of circular dining table with appropriate width of the chandelier to be used.
| Diameter of circular dining table | Chandelier width |
|---|---|
| 36″ | 1.5 ft |
| 48″ | 2 ft |
| 54″ | |
| 60″ | 2.5 ft |
| 72″ | 3 ft |
| 84″ | 3.5 ft |
| 96″ | 4 ft |
| 110″ | 4.5 ft |
Sizing of lights over oval dining table
As the length of oval dining table increases, the configuration and size of pendant lights also changes accordingly.
And for the chandelier, as the length of the oval dining table passes 5 ft, the shape of chandelier should be linear instead of round and the size also increases to cover large surface over dining table.
| Oval dining table length | Chandelier size | pendant lights configuration | pendant lights size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 ft | 1.5 ft wide | 1 light configuration | 1 ft wide |
| 4 ft | 2 ft wide | 1 light configuration | 1.3 ft wide |
| 5 ft | 2.5 ft wide | 2 lights configuration | 6 inches wide each |
| 6 ft | 2 ft long (linear chandelier) | 2 or 3 lights configuration | 7 inches wide each for 2 lights config. and 6 inches wide each for 3 lights config. |
| 7 ft | 2.3 ft long (linear chandelier) | 3 lights configuration | 10 inches wide each |
| 8 ft | 3.5 ft long (linear chandelier) | 3 or 4 lights configuration | 1 ft wide each for 3 lights config. and 8 inches for 4 lights config. |
| 9 ft | 4 ft (linear chandelier) | 4 lights configuration | 10 inches wide each |
| 10 ft | 5 ft long (linear chandelier) | 4 lights configuration | 12 inches wide each |
Sizing of lights over square dining table
To size chandelier over a square dining table the rule is similar to a rectangular dining area i.e , divide the length of any one side of the table (in inches) by 2.
| Square table dimensions | chandelier width |
|---|---|
| 30″ x 30″ | 15″ |
| 36″ x 36″ | 18″ |
| 48″ x 48″ | 24″ |
| 60″ x 60″ | 30″ |
| 72″ x 72″ | 36″ |
| 96″ x 96″ | 48″ |
Useful tips while choose lighting for dining table
What shape chandelier over dining table
For oval table
Round shaped chandeliers looks great over oval dining tables that are 48″ or lesser in length whereas linear shaped chandelier looks better over oval tables with length 60″ and above.
For square table
Since a square dining table has a lot of surface area the shape of light source should be such that it could help the light to spread all over the table.
Chandeliers that are round in shape help to distribute light evenly over a surface in all directions. Thus, a round-shaped chandelier should always be used over a square dining table.
What material chandelier over dining table
GLASS & CRYSTAL
A glass or crystal chandelier can be hung in a modern and traditional dining area. The only requirement is that the top of the dining table should be made out of either glass, metal or marble.
The reason for using a glass chandelier over dining table with glass or metal elements is that the glass of chandelier and the shiny elements of dining table both gives an overall cohesive appearance which inturn enhances the luxury and classy theme of the dining area.
METAL
A chandelier with exposed metal body comes mostly in contemporary chandeliers. Since a contemporary chandelier looks great in a modern dining area, a metallic chandelier should also be preferred to be used in a dining area that is carrying a modern design.
It should also be noted that a metal chandelier can be matched with any dining table material. i.e the material of dining table can either be wood, glass, marble, metal or some other matt finish.
CERAMIC
Ceramic chandeliers carries a distinct elegance. They add a sense of class and luxury to the area in which they are hanged.
Therefore, if the dining area is carrying a luxury and modern theme, a ceramic chandelier becomes an excellent option to be hanged above the dining table.
FABRIC
If the dining table is not shiny i.e has a wooden or matt finish, a fabric chandelier can be used above the dining table.
From a design perspective, a fabric chandelier represents softness and reserveness. It is, therefore, excellent to be hanged above a small size dining table.
WOODEN
A wooden chandelier looks best when hanged over a dining table that is made out of wood and metal.
However, the design of wooden chandelier largely affects where it could be hung. Modern contemporary chandeliers also make use of wood. Such wooden contemporary chandeliers also look great over dining areas that are made out of material apart from wood. For eg. metal or marble.
But if the design of chandelier is traditional such that it gives old look then such a chandelier looks good only with a dining table that is made out of wood.
What style chandelier over dining table
ART DECO STYLE CHANDELIER
Art deco chandeliers are merely for styling purposes. Therefore, only in those dining areas in which most of the lighting requirement is already completed by other light sources, art deco style chandeliers can be used.
These chandeliers makes good use of metal which makes them a great option for dining area that is vintage in look with plenty of metallic finishes and metallic elements.
Chandeliers with an art deco style are sleek and very futuristic in appeal. Design wise the middle body of the chandelier is most wide.
Preferred length of dining table for art deco style chandelier = 48″ to 60″
MID – CENTURY STYLE CHANDELIER
Normally a mid-century chandelier have multiple light bulbs making them a great source of ambient lighting.
Their design is very modern and make use geomteric lines.
These chandeliers are great for small size dining tables and looks best with modern interiors.
Preferred size of dining table for mid century chandelier = <48″
MISSION STYLE CHANDELIER
MIssion-style chandeliers are hand-crafted chandeliers making use of raw materials. These chandeliers provide a unique warmth to the dining area.
The design of these chandeliers is very simple and thus can be used easily in a dining area with the most basic of looks & designs.
Preferred length of dining table for mission style chandelier = >55″
TRADITIONAL CHANDELIER
A traditional chandelier has glass and crystal elements.
Regardless of the interior of the house being classical or modern, a traditonal chandelier can be used over the dining table as long as there are matching shiny elements like glass, metal in the dining area.
Preferred length of dining table for traditional chandelier = 36″ – 60″
MODERN CONTEMPORARY CHANDELIER
Contemporary chandeliers are the new trend when it comes to dining area lighting. These chandeliers comes in different shapes which makes them a perfect choice for modern dining areas.
If the size of dining table is small (less than 50″) a contemporary chandelier of any design can be used whereas if the length of dining table is large (60″ and above) linear shaped contemporary chandeliers can be used.
Design-wise a contemporary chandelier provides countless choices to choose from.
How to choose the color of a chandelier over dining table
The chandelier for dining area can be have either white, golden, gray or brown color.
There are some factors that matters while choosing the color of chandelier for dining area. For instance, the color of dining table, the color of chairs and overall dominant colors in dining area.
White color of dining table and chairs is universal. This makes a chandelier of any color look great with them.
Similarly, if the dining area has dark colors that are dominant then chandelier of golden color can look elegant and luxurious.
Likewise, if the dining area has a very light color scheme (light shade of a color) then the color of the chandelier should be of a comparatively darker shade.
How bright should the dining room lights be
For lighting the dining table, the chandelier or pendants hanging over dining table should be 500 – 700 lumens bright.
If a flush mount light fixture is used over the dining table then it should be 900 – 1000 lumen bright.
For lighting the entire dining area, wall also need to be illuminated. If each wall gets illuminated by 1500 lumens then assuming for all 4 walls, the total lumens required for a dining area would be 6000 + 500 = 6500 lumens
In total 6000 – 7000 lumens are required for lighting a dining room with no prior lighting.
The purpose of lighting in the dining area is to drive the attention onto the dining table and not much on the surroundings.
The brightness of light source also depends over other factors like how many other light sources are present in the dining area.
If there are other light sources that are providing ambient lighting to the dining area then the lumens of hanging lights over the dining table can be just 300 – 400 lumens.
How to choose lighting for a dining area with low ceiling
Spacial optimization is one of the most important aspects of lighting a dining room with low ceiling.
Thus instead of using hanging light fixtures, light sources that are flush to the ceiling should be installed. Adding a false ceiling over the dining table is also a clever trick to eliminate the need to hanging light fixtures.
With a low ceiling height of dining area the light fixture should be choosed while giving priority to maintain atleast 30 to 36 inches of gap between the top of table and the bottom of the chandelier.
The more is the space between the bottom of light fixture and the top of table the better it is. This is specially true for a dining area with ceiling height as low as 7 ft.
A semi flush mount chandelier (like a sputnik chandelier) provides both the elegance of a hanging light fixture as well as the openness of space provided by flush mount light fixture.
How to choose lighting for a dining area with sloped ceiling
if the slope is only at one side of the ceiling, then a hanging light fixutre can be used directly on the ceiling.
Whereas if the ceiling has a double slope then alternatives of hanging light fixtures like floor lamps, table lamps, track lights can be used only if the dining table is placed off centered.
On the other hand, if the dining table is placed directly below the point where the double slopes join on the ceiling then only hanging lights should be used.
Additonal information
When to hang two chandeliers over dining table
Two chandeliers can be hanged over the dining table if the dining area is not in an open floor plan and is totally a separate area from the kitchen.
Because if the dining area is in an open floor plan, there are probably other light fixtures present. In such case limiting the number of chandeliers over dinng table to just one is a better option.
Also if the dining area is close to the kitchen with an island, there might be some hanging light fixture over the island also. In that case also just having only one chandelier over the dining table will provide a well-balanced look.
Lastly, If the dining table has a very long length and the design of dining area is traditional then a long contemporary chandelier may appear out of place with the dining area. To solve this design incompetence, two traditional chandeliers matching the theme of tradtional dinnig area can be hanged over the dinng table.
LED fan or chandelier over dining table
For well-ventilated homes with proper air conditioning, an LED ceiling fan over dining area is not required.
In area with hot climate having an LED ceiling fan over the dining table is a good option. The airflow from the LED ceiling fan also helps to cool down the hot food. But during winter, the ceiling fan becomes non-functional.
Hence, if only there is a strict requirement of ventilation in the dining area, an LED ceiling fan can be hanged over the dining area. Other than that in most cases, hanging a chandelier over the dining table should be preferred.
