Chandelier

Hang a chandelier approximately 30 to 34 inches over a dining room table in rooms with eight foot ceilings
If your ceiling is higher than 8 feet, mount the chandelier an additional 3 inches higher for each foot of ceiling
Allow for at least 6 ½ feet of clearance from the floor in a foyer or entry hall
To find a chandelier for your room, browse by using the "size" sort button on our Chandeliers page.

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Antique Chandeliers

Chandeliers conjure visions of royalty, grandeur and opulence. Though sleeker and slimmer versions have evolved, there's still an aura of antiquity that surrounds a chandelier. So when one is striving for an antique look for his home, going in for turn-of-the-century furniture, a decadent looking fireplace and a chandelier are the first things on his mind.

Chandeliers conjure visions of royalty, grandeur and opulence. Though sleeker and slimmer versions have evolved, there's still an aura of antiquity that surrounds a chandelier. So when one is striving for an antique look for his home, going in for turn-of-the-century furniture, a decadent looking fireplace and a chandelier are the first things on his mind.

If you are one of the lucky ones who possess an old chandelier handed down to you through generations, then you wouldn't need to lift a finger. For the not so lucky ones, you would need to hunt for a piece that would look convincingly old. Shops selling antique pieces would definitely be your first stop. For nothing can really replicate that old look better than a piece actually made years back. But if they cannot satisfy you, you have no other choice but to get a ready-made variety and try to give it an old look.

First, steer clear of the slim-trim polished-steel chandeliers. These are especially designed for modern homes with clean-cut furniture and can never be passed off as old. Antique chandeliers are ornate pieces with very intricate carvings.

Candle chandeliers have an inherent archaic feel to them. An antique chandelier can be made of crystal, wrought iron, or brass or antlers, and they are never shiny in appearance. That is why you just cannot buy a wrought-iron or a brass type of chandelier and install it, hoping that it would impart an antique look to the environs. The chandelier must be worked upon so that there is an authentic antique feel to it. To replicate an old look, you need to apply an antiquing glaze on it. While the glaze is still wet, you need to rub off the shine from it with a soft cloth. The latter is done to achieve a worn-out look.

After working on the chandelier, it is also important o have the other furniture catered to the antique look. For a single antique or antique-looking chandelier cannot bring about an antique feel in the ambience. A chandelier will look antique only when there's an antique atmosphere around it.

Candle Chandelier

Chandeliers have a classical elegance about them, and of all the chandeliers available, the candle chandelier "takes the cake" because of its lighting. Whatever the make of the candle chandelier-wrought iron, crystal or antler-candles are fitted to it create a warm, romantic and inviting atmosphere. An incandescent candle chandelier, with shadows flickering around it, is truly a spectacular sight. These chandeliers also give a medieval look to the place.

More than illumination, candle chandeliers are used more as mood pieces. It is as appropriate in a stately ballroom as in the sleeping quarters. It doesn't belong either above the dinner table or above the bathtub.

What the candle chandeliers are not suited for are cramped living quarters, sleek furniture with clean cuts and lines or furniture with hard edges. This is because the candles exude a certain softness and do not look at home with such furniture.

Candle chandeliers require a bit of maintenance in the sense that apart from the regular cleansing and polishing of the chandelier frame, one has to also ensure that molten wax from the candles does not seep into the nooks and crannies of the chandelier carvings. Accumulation of the wax will give the chandelier a mottled appearance. Another thing to consider is that if the chandelier is made up of glass or crystal, then you have to clean the surface thoroughly or the fumes from the candles will blacken them.

A candle chandelier glowing in all its exquisite beauty is a fragile object. It has a timeless appeal, but care and nurturing are necessary in order to sustain its glory.

Crystal Chandeliers

Chandeliers, however opulent a look they might sport, are basically fragile objects that require a favorable environment to flourish. The environment in this context is the overall décor of the room in which the chandelier is going to be housed.

The importance of décor is all the more critical in the case of crystal chandeliers, which may be five armed or three armed, candle lit or with little glow bulbs. A crystal chandelier can come in different sizes. It may be ornamental or a no-frills affair. Whatever its look is, understated or overboard, a crystal chandelier doesn't blend in with all kinds of rooms.

For instance, a crystal chandelier looks out of place in a ranch house, complete with rustic furniture. Similarly, a candle chandelier made of crystal, with a soft, romantic and archaic look to it, strikes a discordant note amidst futuristic furniture in bold, striking colors.

Large, ornate crystal chandeliers look best in a classically furnished room. The furniture should be elegant and plush. In fact, Louis XVI décor, with its emphasis on intricate carving, tapestries and massive pieces would be just fine. Chandeliers that are smaller in size but intricately carved also work well with Louis XV furniture, which is all about small, dainty pieces. For modern rooms with clean-cut, sleek furniture, a simple no-fuss less ornamental crystal chandelier would be ideal.

A crystal chandelier requires elaborate maintenance. To retain its gloss and glitter, it needs to be taken down every once in awhile and cleaned thoroughly. As it is, chandeliers do tend to gather dust fairly quickly, and the more intricate the carving, the more the dust that seeps into the nooks and crevices. However, the cleaning doesn't require any chemicals; ordinary soapy water suffices.

The maintenance schedule may sound daunting, but owners vouch that a crystal chandelier lighted in all its glory is a mesmerizing sight indeed.

Chandelier Lighting

Interior designers are unanimous on one thing: gone are the days when lights were meant only for illumination. These days, mood lighting is much more in vogue, and chandeliers, as well as light fixtures are well suited for this purpose. Mood lighting is a relatively new concept in interior decoration, and it means creating a particular ambience with light. This can be achieved by varying the color of the light, its intensity or the look of the lamp.

These days, more often than not, creating a mood, rather than illumination has become the primary purpose of chandelier lighting. The type of the chandelier and the nature of lighting used in it, play a deciding role in how the mood is created.

For instance, the "party animal" can have a sleek, gleaming steel chandelier fitted with psychedelic lights that would go well with his nature. The same steel chandelier but with muted lighting will be the choice of the introvert.

For those who prefer a traditional look in their homes, a five-arm ornamental chandelier in iron would secure the look. This type of chandelier has a stately look about it and can also be used at formal dinners. Crystal chandeliers possess a conventional and opulent look. They are elegant and exude an aura of aristocracy. If you want a soft romantic look, nothing can beat a candle chandelier, given that candles themselves look warm and inviting.

Robust-looking antler chandeliers are more in tune with the outdoor-type person, a gamesman perhaps. Then, you have the rustic-looking wrought iron chandelier, and, coupled with candle lighting, you have a period piece in your hands.

The possibilities are immense with the chandelier. With little variations in the type of lighting and in the make of the chandelier itself, drastic changes can be made to the look of the room and the mood you want to project.

Wrought Iron Chandeliers

It is not very often that you find light fixtures with a distinct character; but you do with the chandelier. There's the delicate, touch-me-not beauty of the crystal chandelier. And then, there's the robust, wrought-iron chandelier.

Wrought-iron chandeliers are basically no-frills, no-fuss affairs. They have a certain versatility about them too, and the versatility seems all the more fascinating when we consider the two incompatible traits they possess. Firstly, wrought iron chandeliers have an archaic feel to them. As such they do not synchronize well with the futuristic- looking furniture types. And yet, with their in-your-face starkness, they blend in rather well with minimalist-looking furniture styles, which is actually a fairly recent development. Because of their robust look, they also fit in well with the décor of a salon in a Western town or a ranch house.

The greatest asset of a wrought iron chandelier is its hassle-free maintenance. However intricately carved it may be, all it needs is regular wiping with ordinary soap and water and an occasional polishing to retain its gloss and shine. It does, however need protection against rust, so it is better if it is not hung in a damp place. Although it has an antique look to it, a wrought iron chandelier can be aged to look even older; that too, can be done without much fanfare.. All it needs a coating of antiquing glaze.

The wrought-iron chandelier has in it the hallmark of a truly great piece of furniture. Its versatility is its greatest asset for it lends itself well to home makeovers. It is one of those rare breeds of furniture that fits into quite contrasting kinds of decors.

Chandeliers provides detailed information on chandeliers, crystal chandeliers, antler chandeliers, candle chandeliers and more. Chandeliers is affiliated with Kids Ceiling Fans .

How to Hang a Chandelier

So you've decided on a chandelier and placed an order.what now?

For starters, remember that lighting from a chandelier, no matter what the setting, should make a room, people, home furnishings and prized possessions look their very best.

So it's important to hang the chandelier in the right spot and at the proper height for
maximum impact.

*A chandelier in a dining room setting should be positioned in the center of the dining table and room proportions.
*Avoid purchasing chandeliers that are larger than the width of your table, as people may bump into it when getting up. A handy rule of thumb is that a chandelier should be 12 inches narrower than a table and have at least 48 inches of space from each of the room walls or edges.
*Hang a chandelier approximately 30 to 34 inches over a table with an 8 foot ceiling height. If your ceiling is higher than 8 feet, mount the chandelier an additional 3 inches higher for each foot of ceiling.
*Keep in mind that lighting from a chandelier that beams directly onto a person from above can cast unflattering facial shadows. The heat from bulbs directly overhead can also be uncomfortable.
*Avoid high wattage bulbs. They will increase the heat and cause excessive table glare.
*Try adding shades to chandelier candelabra bulbs or a wall dimmer to help you control the light and set a more flattering mood.
*When a chandelier has no central downlight, you can enhance the dining room table setting and centerpiece by using recessed adjustable fixtures with narrow beam bulbs. Aim these bulbs at a dining table centerpiece to create additional visual interest in conjunction with the chandelier.
*In an open lobby or larger foyer setting, a chandelier can provide an important transition from outdoor to interior spaces and set the mood for your entire home. Hang the chandelier high enough to illuminate stairways or side passages; about knee-level of the upstairs landing is a good standard.
*Chandeliers in a lobby setting can be wider or taller than dining room pieces so that they comfortably fill a space without appearing too small. You should also allow for at least 6 ½ feet of clearance from the floor.
*Pendant chandeliers for kitchen islands and dinette tables demand a little different approach. Depending on their arrangement and number, position the pendant 30" to 34" inches up from the table surface.
*Dress up the hanging wire or chain of a chandelier by covering it in a narrow sleeve of fabric. Fabric should be three times longer than the chain to achieve a gathered appearance. A great idea for holiday looks!

Many larger chandeliers are heavy and tricky to hang, so you may want to hire a professional electrician.
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