ON THE HUNT : Dining Room Chandelier

Me and the fiance are first time homeowners, and two years in we still have a laundry list of to-do’s between renovations, small updates, and dare I say, unpacking? But that’s the beautiful thing about our home-it’s a blank canvas of possibilities that we get to dream up together, and I cherish our brainstorming sessions of what to tackle next. Unfortunately, with a wedding in the works our list these days is more along the lines of, what small projects can we do that will make a biggest impact? A common predicament with any couple on a budget and I can personally say, I’m right there with you!

Our home was built in 1979 and while it was move in ready, it was still adorned with its original floral valances, beige walls with wallpaper trim, and ‘Tiffany’ lamp chandeliers. Not completely miserable, but completely off par with our style. Having made significant progess (it’s amazing what a can a paint can do to a room) there are still things that need to be touched, one of them being our dining room chandelier.

Not centered on our dining table or to scale with the rest of the living room, it feels out of place and has become somewhat of an eyesore. In searching for just the right chandelier here are a few things you should bear in mind when looking to update this prominent home lighting fixture.

SCALE + PROPORTION

Your dining room table shape will dictate what works best overhead. If it’s round, go with a great statement chandelier, if it’s rectangular find a chandelier that’s a bit more linear and plays up the length of the table, or get creative and use two smaller pendants to add interest.

While there are no hard and fast rules as to what you SHOULD do, my best advice is to be aware of your ceiling heights and make sure your chandelier is adding to the space versus making it feel heavy or ‘bogged’ down. You want to highlight unique architectural features, or in some cases make that chandelier the fun architectural point of interest.

A great way to gauge sizing is to take the measurements of the chandelier you have your eye on and map it out on top of your table in blue tape so you roughly know the span of the fixture in comparison to your table. Then take measuring tape or a ruler and measure 36” vertically so you know where the chandelier will 'float' overhead. This is great little trick that gives you a better representation of size and scale if it’s hard for you to really picture it in your head.

A great example of how using two pendents versus one is effective in this contemporary home with high ceilings (Photo Courtesy of Domino)

STYLE

This is self-explanatory but there are those who struggle with figuring this out. I’ve learned that most people hang things they love at eye level. If you look around your space now, what do you have that’s about eye level that really speaks to you? Is it an heirloom picture or frame that’s made of mahogany, or perhaps a quote surrounded in flowers that you purchased at a thrift shop, or maybe even just a fun painting you bought on a whim at an art fair that makes you smile. Whatever the case may be, we hang what speaks to us most at eye level.

So dig deep and ask yourself why you like the things you like. Is it craftsmanship? Color? Historical Reference? While I know we’re talking strictly about chandeliers, this is a great way to start narrowing down your search and honing in on specific materials that speak to you and your space.

This large white rattan pendant adds a layer of texture, warmth, and interest while in keeping with the space's modern monochromatic feel. (Photo Courtesy of Jelanie Blog)

TEMPERATURE

For the most part we are all aware that lighting comes in different color temperatures. What people often forget is that you need to consider the different light sources in a room when choosing something as prominent as a chandelier. When you’re in a smaller residential space, the disparity between the low spectrum soft white and high spectrum cool white is noticeable. If you are mixing whites, stick within the 500-1000K color range.

2700-3000K (Soft Whites) - Warm, ambient and what most people use in living rooms or bedrooms
3500-4100K (Cool Whites) - Works great in bathrooms + kitchens and on the higher end of the spectrum, for garage or work spaces
5000-6500K (Daylight)- More of a vibrant white used most often in commercial or industrial spaces

Below are some of my top contenders, one of which will hopefully be making it into my home! For me, having a rectangular table, it comes down to how many pendants do I want to use and what look and feel works well within my narrow, 8'-0" tall dining room. I also love simplicity and something that adds a layer of texture to my otherwise white walled minimalistic space. But in the meantime, happy chandelier shopping to you!