How to Size a Dining Table Chandelier

Last updated on November 20th, 2022

A great dining table chandelier can make or break a room.

Chandeliers add light and charm to your dining room. You can use them as a focal point in an open floor plan. Or apply it as a piece of understated elegance at all your dinner parties.

Regardless of why you want a dining table chandelier, it’s important to hang and size it the right way. To do this you’ll need to take many measurements before you get to the store.

Keep reading for a guide to sizing your dining table chandelier.

Sizing Your Dining Table Chandelier by Room Height

Chandeliers should compliment the room, not overwhelm it. This means that your dining table chandelier should match the light’s style and size of your room. One of the ways to prevent that is to make sure the size of your chandelier matches the height of the room.

Measure the distance between the installation point on the ceiling to the floor. Most homes have standard 8ft ceilings, but a few will have higher ceilings. This is common in old homes that used high ceilings to keep the hot air away from the ground.

Once you have the measurement for ceiling height, you’ll have to do some math. Each foot you get in ceiling height translates to 2 1/2-3 inches for the chandelier height.

For example:

Your ceiling is 8ft tall.
8 multiplied by 3 is 24.
That means for an 8-foot high ceiling, you’ll need a 24-inch high chandelier.

It’s that simple!

Sizing Your Dining Table Chandelier by Room Size

Another way to make sure your chandelier is the right size and height for your dining room table is by room size.

The room size can help you determine how wide your dining table chandelier needs to be. To do this, measure the width and length of your dining room. Once you have this measurement, add the length and width together. When you have this number, change the “feet” measurement to inches. This measurement is how wide you want your chandelier to be.

To give you another example:

Your dining room is 8ft by 10ft.
Add 8 and 10, which is 18.
So you’re looking for a chandelier that is 18 inches in diameter.

You can play around with the width of your chandelier, but this is the best measurement.

Size Your Dining Table Chandelier by Table Size

The last way to size your dining table chandelier is by table size. This is the simplest way to find a chandelier, but you need to know what dining table you’re using.

If you like the dining table you’re using, then measure how long it is. Look for a chandelier that is at least a foot smaller than the width of your table.

Here’s one last example to clarify for you:

Your dining table is 5 feet across.
Then look for a chandelier that is 4 feet in diameter.

Again, play around with these measurements if you want to. If you’re concerned with people bumping their heads on the chandelier, then hang it a bit higher.