Interior Designer: Markham Roberts, Washington, DC
One of the most common questions asked of interior designers like Leslie Hendrix Wood has to do with dining room chandeliers. How to hang a chandelier, to be more specific. They are often an expensive purchase and the first thing people see when walking into your dining room.
Today’s post, “How To Hang A Chandelier” will, I hope, dear Hadley Court readers, answer some questions for you about how an interior designer will help guide you when you are wondering how to hang a chandelier, and what you need to consider before you buy one.
Ready?
#1
The first thing your designer will consider is the width of your dining room table. If you’re going to be using a traditional, round chandelier, here’s the rule of thumb about the diameter of the chandelier relative to a rectangular dining room table:
Measure the width of your dining table, divide it by 2, and then add 5 inches, give or take an inch or two.
For round tables in huge rooms like the one below, though, the grand scale of this chandelier was selected to be in proportion to the majectic scale of this grand space, versus in proportion to the dining table itself.
Interior designer: Elissa Cullman, Cullman Kravis, NYC
Of course, if you and your designer find your chandelier before you find the rectangular dining table, or are keeping an existing chandelier or inheriting one, then you will want to reverse this, and think about the width of the dining table to purchase.
For instance, let’s say the diameter of an existing chandelier is 30″and you love it and have told your designer you want to keep it. The width of the rectangular dining table they will suggest for you, assuming it fits in your room, would then be about 48″…give or take a few inches. How did I figure that out?
48″ width of dining table, divided by 2 = 24. Add 5″ to the 24″ and you have 29″…close enough to the 30″ diameter of the chandelier to look perfect!
Of course, designers & architects who know the *rules* are always breaking them, too, by using chandeliers of gigantic scale, like the very modern one below, to create drama, especially in large open areas where the dining area is part of the living area.
Design: Sutro Architects, San Francisco.
#2
The next thing your designer will consider for you before specifiying/installing your chandelier is your dining area’s ceiling height. If your dining room has very tall ceilings, your interior designer will talk with you about what type of hanging chain, rope, etc. they think is best to use, both functionally and aesthetically.
Your designer will also make sure the electrician and installation crew will have the appropriate equipment on hand. In many dining rooms with very tall ceilings, this includes scaffolding, if the ceiling height and safety aspects demand it.
Hanging a chandelier about 32″ to 45″ above the table will allow for people to see each other across it, but as you will see later in this post, there are many other factors your designer will consider -and ask you to consider – when deciding how high to hang your chandelier from the surface of your dining table.
Interior Designer: Elissa Cullman of Cullman Kravis, NYC.
As you can see from the way designer Elissa Cullman had the antique chandelier hung above this dining table for one of her clients, extra chain had to be purchased due to the extremely tall ceilings. In addition, the chain’s design and finish were considered, too – relative to the design of the chain on the original fixture – as it is the focal point in this exquisite home’s dining room.
Here’s another picture of the same room which shows just how carefully this chandelier was hung, vis a vis the curtains, the mirror, the height of the candlesticks on the dining table and the other elements in the room.
Interior Designer: Elissa Cullman of Cullman Kravis, NYC
When you work with an interior designer, they will render a wall elevation for you, showing the dimensions of every element, that they will then share with all the appropriate tradespeople involved, so that the installation process goes as smoothly as possible for you.
See below for 3 examples. Although beginning sketches like this are very beautiful to look at and can help you get a general idea of what your designer has in mind for your room, your designer can’t use this as a working elevation for their tradespeople.
And, while this wall elevation for a dining room is in 1/2 scale, designers know that some tradespeople involved in the installation process don’t know exactly how to read scale.
So, when your interior designer suggests to you that you need this type of detailed wall elevation below, with all measurements spelled out on dimension lines { although this one is for a bathroom } so she/he can give this to their tradespeople involved in the installation of your chandelier or lighting fixture, please be prepared to say yes!
Although it’s extra money to have your interior designer prepare this for you, it is so worth it – as it virtually guarantees a stress free installation and that there are no mistakes.
#3
Beyond the size of the chandelier relative to the dining table, and the height of the ceiling, the other major consideration in hanging a chandelier is how it will be seen vis a vis other items in the room. Will it be on its own..or it will it need to relate visually to a piece of art, a buffet, a cabinet or bookcase or a mirror behind it? Will there be candlesticks on the table, a centerpiece, etc? How high will those items be?
Here are some installation examples where other items in the room were a definite factor in how these chandeliers were hung.
Interiors: Sutro Architects, San Francisco
Interiors: Sutro Architects, San Francisco
Interior Design: Elissa Cullman, Cullman Kravis, NYC
Another wonderful example of this is in this dining room by interior designer Palmer Weiss, where she had to carefully take into consideration the height of the chandelier vis a vis the large mirror placed on the back wall and the tall flower arrangement she knew would sit in front of the mirror most of the time. Thinking through these details for you are what makes hiring a designer so worth the investment.
And lastly today, I’d like to share with you this beautiful *DoOvah* of a dining room by a designer friend who attended the Design Bloggers Conference with us, Megan Pesce in Boston. Megan’s clients wanted to keep their charming, elegant existing chandelier, but the rest of the dining room was completely changed.
Notice how the oval shape and smaller scale Megan chose for the dining table perfectly complements the delicacy, shape and proportion of her client’s prized chandelier.
For her amazing before and after of this dining room, click here and you will get a GREAT visual example of why hiring an interior designer is such an important investment, even if it is only to help know how to hang the chandelier you’ve fallen in love with and couldn’t resist shipping home from Paris..or from your local antique haven!
And readers, as always, thank you for reading Hadley Court, we appreciate YOU!
Leslie Carothers
for
Leslie Hendrix Wood
Decorator
Chancellor Interiors
Midland, Texas
Founder, Editor In Chief
Hadley Court
~~~
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