Chandeliers usually are a homeowner's most prized type of lighting. With their grand size and inspiring design, they can bring a sense of beauty and drama to any space. Plus, they are practical - a large room often requires a fixture as large as a chandelier to provide enough light to fully illuminate the surroundings.
You can use a chandelier in all kinds of spaces throughout your home. Beyond the traditional locations, such as a foyer or dining room, chandeliers now frequently decorate bedrooms, kitchens, large bathrooms, and even outdoor spaces like gazebos.
With all the chandelier options available today, there should be one to perfectly fit both your style and your budget. (Note: if high costs have prevented you from obtaining your ideal chandelier, this month Going Lighting will be featuring promotions on several chandeliers: so, it may finally be time to buy your dream lighting!)
If you're considering a chandelier for your home, here are some tips to help you pick just the right one:
Decide on your budget
Chandeliers come at a range of prices. Especially if you are considering buying more than one for different rooms in your house, it's good to know even before you start looking how much you are willing to spend.
Typically, chandeliers that are larger or that incorporate luxury materials will be more expensive. But you may be lucky and find a good sale on one that otherwise may have been beyond your budget.
Decide on your design theme
Do you prefer a look that is more traditional or more contemporary? An ornate style or a rustic one? Overabundance or minimalism?
Many homeowners choose a chandelier to fit with the existing color palette, materials, and overall current design of the room in which it will be placed. However, given that the chandelier will now likely become the focal point for your room, you could use this choice of a chandelier as an opportunity to begin a new renovation.
Measure your space
The best size for your new chandelier depends on the size of your room. A simple way to figure this out is to add the dimensions of the room in feet and then convert this number to inches. For example, if your room is 15 feet by 10 feet, then the diameter of your chandelier should be around 25 inches.
Also, you need to measure the height of your room. The chandelier should hang so that it is about 7 feet above the floor, or between 30-34 inches above a table in a dining room or kitchen.
Choose your bulbs
One important consideration in choosing a chandelier is how bright you will want it to shine. Generally, the more bulbs included on the fixture, the brighter it will be. There are also many options today for the kind of bulb that is used, such as halogen, incandescent, or LED.
Some chandeliers have shades over the bulbs, which can help you control the amount of light that is emitted. If you will use other fixtures for your primary lighting and hang the chandelier primarily for decoration, you will probably want one with fewer bulbs.
Explore online and on social media
For more inspiration on the kinds of chandeliers available, start researching online and on social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram. You'll be able to find not only a multitude of designs, but also information on the height, diameter, bulb wattage, and other functional considerations.
Going Lighting has several chandelier promotions going on throughout the month of May. Check it out!