A Guide on Hanging a Chandelier Over a Dining Table

We recently hung a new chandelier from our Shades of Light collection over our dining room table, and it felt like Christmas day around here! Collaborating with Shades of Light and then using the pieces in our own home is so surreal, and it's just as exciting getting tagged in images with your new CLJxSOL fixtures as well! So thank you! If you find yourself wanting to hang a chandelier over your dining room or breakfast nook table but don't know where to start, then you're in the right place. In this blog post, I'll guide you through my simple chandelier-hanging rule of thumb.

You can shop the entire Shades of Light collection here.

Chandelier | Wallpaper | Dining Table | Dining Chairs (Vintage) | Black Vase

We previously had a beautiful lantern hanging above this table, and while I absolutely loved it, it only illuminated lighting down vs. around the entire room. We were practically eating dinner in the dark every night, and simply going up in lumens wasn't going to cut it. Swapping it out for this Edie Two-Tier Chandelier in Brass / Burgundy with eight lights was the perfect solution! Edie comes in 14 colorways as a sconce, island chandelier, 4-light chandelier, or 8-light chandelier – something for everyone.

Shop the Edie Collection

How high should you hang a chandelier over a table?

Marble Fruit Bowl

As a general rule of thumb, the chandelier should be positioned about 30 to 36 inches above the table surface. You want enough clearance to get in and out of your seat without bonking your head, but you also want the chandelier to be a star in the show. This chandelier comes with four 12-in downrods, and we used all four here.

What bulbs should I use?

Obviously, you'll need to use light bulbs compatible with your fixture, but what people sometimes fail to consider is the temperature and brightness of their bulbs. If you want a deep dive into light-bulb terminology, definitely check out this post we did in 2021, where I explain Kelvins and Lumens more extensively. Simply put, what you need to know is that Kelvin is a measurement of the temperature of light (warm vs cool), and Lumens is how bright the light is.

For this chandelier, I used these dimmable bulbs with 2700K, which is fairly warm, cozy, and intimate for a dining space. This fixture is set on a dimmer, and these bulbs go up to 550LM, which is considered medium-bright. The brightness of your bulbs should be decided by how large the room is, how many lights are on the fixture, and other sources of light in the room.

Side Table | Lamp (Vintage) | Linen Sofa | Wall Art | Picture Light

If there were only four lights on this fixture, I would have gone with a brighter bulb to better illuminate the space. I also think that if the shades were light filtering rather than metal, I would have chosen bulbs with lower lumens. You can use your judgment on this depending on your individual circumstance but don't underestimate the importance of using the proper bulb!

As with any design "rules," nothing is set in stone. The best thing you can do is step back and see if it feels balanced to you, and break rules as needed.

We hung another lighting fixture from our Shades of Light collection in Faye's room, and I just had to show you a sneak peek before the big reveal coming soon! This is from the Marlo collection, and isn't she cute??

Shop the Marlo Collection