Your dining room lighting is the key to setting the mood for entertaining and adding a finishing touch to your dining room décor. Dining room chandeliers are a popular choice for homeowners looking to add function and design elements to this important room of their homes. There are many types of chandeliers in today’s marketplace including transitional chandeliers, modern chandeliers, and crystal chandeliers – just to name a few. Use this quick guide to help you narrow down to which fixture will work best for your dining room. You’ll also find some helpful tips on placement, shapes and more along the way!

Everything You Need To Know About Dining Room Chandeliers

Types of dining room chandeliers

There are many types of chandeliers to choose from that can add flair to your dining room décor as well as provide the right amount of light to set the mood while you enjoy meals in your home.

• Transitional Chandeliers – Transitional chandeliers are an excellent option for dining room décor that craves simplistic, classic looks. While minimalistic and practical, these types of dining room chandeliers can add an element of sophistication to your home.

• Crystal Chandeliers – The best way to add some sparkle and shine to your dining room is with crystal chandeliers. While crystal chandeliers have a long history and certainly can have an antique feel, there are many modern styles to choose from. Often the contrast of the vintage look with your more modern dining room décor is a unique combination that makes a statement.

• Modern Chandeliers – These fixtures are often categorized by simple, sleek design. They can boast interesting shapes that can even appear futuristic. A modern chandelier is a great choice if you want to add an intriguing, simplistic piece to your dining room.

• Traditional Chandeliers – If you are looking for something more formal or sophisticated, head in the direction of a traditional chandelier. These chandeliers often have candle-like elements and can include ornate designs.

• Rustic Chandeliers – On the flip side, if you are looking to keep it casual in your dining room, a rustic chandelier may be for you! This design style can incorporate raw, organic-looking materials. This may include elements such as antlers, distressed materials, plant designs, or branches. Rustic chandeliers bring beautiful components of the outdoors inside and can be used in many different styles of homes.

• Drum Chandeliers – This style of chandelier incorporates at least one lamp shade. There can be one or multiple surrounding the entire fixture, or shades around each individual light. Drum chandeliers can resemble a pendant, and come in styles across the spectrum from casual to formal.

Placement tips for your dining room chandeliers

It is very important to understand the space constraints before you dive into finding a fixture. Let’s drill down on the best practices for choosing a dining room chandelier for your space.

• • What size dining room chandelier is best for me? When selecting any dining room lights, it is important to take the size and proportions into account to ensure a good fit, both literally and figuratively. As a general rule of thumb, it’s more important to size the chandelier to the dining table rather than the room. Your dining room chandelier should be in the range of one half to two thirds the width of your table. If your choice of a chandelier is too small for the dining area, it can look out of place and have little impact. On the other end, if your chandelier is too big, it can overpower your room and look ostentatious.

• How far from the ceiling should my dining room lights hang? While you want your dining room chandelier to be a conversation piece, you don’t want it to interfere with your table conversations. For the proper hanging height, the bottom of the chandelier should be approximately 28″ – 34″ above the table. You should check where your chandelier choice will fall based on your ceiling and table heights.

Current trends for dining room chandeliers

Keeping up with the latest chandelier trends is the fun part of adding light to your dining room. Check out some of the latest chandelier styles to help you add flair and ambiance to your dining room.

• • The Mini Crystal Chandelier – For small dining rooms that could use some sparkle and sophistication, the mini crystal chandelier is trending with homeowners who have big design ideas but smaller spaces. It is also a great choice for round tables within any dining setting, such as a breakfast nook.

• The Traditional Chandelier – Whoever said out with the old? We say in with the old because it is as good as new! Traditional chandeliers are a great way to add an elegant touch of the past to your dining room setting.

• The Round, Modern Chandelier – A fun, modern chandelier will make a statement in your dining room that your guests won’t help but notice. The spherical shape is a great design contrast to a rectangular table and room, making it even more eye-catching.

Deciphering which chandelier is right for your home

Now that you’ve delved deeper into trends and general sizing rules, your next step is to determine which dining room chandelier is right for your unique home. Different home styles will be best served by different lighting styles, so let’s take a look at some of the general parameters to help you make your lighting choice.

• • What is your unique taste? Would you describe your home’s style as minimalistic, industrial or traditional? Sleek wood styles often suit the taste of the minimal dining room décor, while stainless steel or iron materials will match up with your industrial style. Traditional interior design often leans toward the crystal dining room chandelier while contrast is often an interesting choice. Ultimately, these decisions are subjectively up to you, and there is no playbook to be followed.

• Consider the shape of your dining room table. Your dining room table is the main consideration in your choice of a dining room chandelier. The rule of thumb would be to use a circular, hexagonal, or bowl-shaped chandelier for a round table, and a square, rectangular or oval fixture for a rectangular table. Although these are the traditional rules, contrasting design and shapes are a trend you should feel free to explore any options!

• How bright do you want it? Your dining room may have plenty of natural light, or you may require a diffused light source for your entertaining and dining area. You have many options to consider that will impact the power of your light. This will include the bulb strength and the design of the chandelier. The materials and design surrounding the bulbs will create different levels of brightness and light diffusion.

Go find that perfect chandelier!

No matter what your dining room décor is like, you’ll certainly need light. A dining room chandelier is a fantastic way to add flair, unique style and a light source to your room. Truly a triple-threat in your home decor! You may want a dining room chandelier that is a continuation of your design elements, make a statement to starts a conversation, or simply blends into the overall style of the room. Either way, there is surely a dining room chandelier available to add the perfect touch to your space.

– The Capitol Lighting Team

Browse our complete collection of dining room chandeliers here.