Before you fall in love with a dining room chandelier, think about the long-term relationship.
I find it fun to shop for a gorgeous new dining room chandelier. There are so many styles and sizes that there is bound to be something to fit with anyone’s personal style mojo.
And that’s where lighting shopping can get tricky. It’s easy to fall in love with a chandelier that goes with a design mojo. But when the chandelier doesn’t quite meet the practical requirements of the space (or budget), it can make it tough to move on and choose another option.
It’s important to think about the practical requirements first, so that you don’t fall in love with a fixture that won’t work.
Sizing it up.
Before you think about anything else, settle on the size of the dining room chandelier. You’ll want to measure for a range in width and height.
Often a light that is about a foot smaller than the dining room table‘s smallest measurement is a good gauge for width. This allows the light fixture to fill the space without being an obstacle for the diners.
For height, the hanging distance from the ceiling comes into play. Make sure there is at least 30 inches between the table and the bottom of the chandelier so that it is easy to see your friends and family at the table.
Lighting hue.
First, what kind of light do you like? Are you a warm light lover or a midday full sun kind of person? Some fixtures come with LEDs as part of the fixture, so you are stuck with the color temperature that the manufacturer chose.
If you light warm light, make sure your new fixture is suited for lightbulbs in the 2700 to 3000 K range. If you are into a cooler, daylight light, you’ll be happier with a 5000 to 6500 K range. Bright white light is in-between these ranges.
Changing lightbulbs.
Do you mind changing light bulbs or would you rather avoid it? If you don’t want to change bulbs, a light fixture with LEDs as part of the fixture may be your best mate. Most good quality LEDs last more than a decade, and longer, depending how often you use the light.
Dimming light.
Do you want to be able to dim the lighting? Not all light fixtures can dim. If the light fixture can dim, you’ll read it in the specs.
Now that you’ve thought about all of the practical aspects of dining room chandelier shopping, the fun part of looking at all of the style options can begin.
If you are looking for something a little more traditional, there are tons of options with all kinds of lighting technology. Just because it looks a little vintage doesn’t mean there isn’t a little hi-tech inside.
