- 1). Measure the room from the floor to the ceiling at the highest point. Chandelier height is frequently calculated at a rate of 3 inches per foot of ceiling height. However, the visual weight of the individual fixture and the square footage of the room must also be considered.
- 2). Measure the length and width of the room. If your room is 10 by 12 feet, add these numbers together for the approximate width of the chandelier (in inches) that would fit the room. In this case that would be 22 inches wide. If your dining room has a huge vaulted ceiling of 30 feet, this formula might suggest a fixture that is 90 inches tall. You would be hard pressed to even find a fixture of these dimensions. What you need to do is fill the 90 inches of space while maintaining the small width of the fixture.
- 3). Consider grouping two or three smaller chandeliers in a cluster in very high-volume spaces where the actual room size is small. The lowest of the chandeliers should be between 30 and 32 inches above the tabletop. With smaller sized chandeliers that are grouped, the fixtures are often offset and overlap in length. To visualize the grouping, fill brown paper bags with crumpled newspaper to match the size of your small chandeliers. Attach string to each one and test fit the size and arrangement in the room prior to purchasing and hanging the actual fixtures. This will give you a strong representation of how the fixtures will look in the room.
- 4). Measure your mock-up fixtures when you find the arrangement that works best for your space. Note the length of each string and how far apart the fixtures are and their relationship to each other. This will save you from purchasing the wrong size and type of fixture and allow you to install the fixtures in the position that works best for you.
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