Gold Chandeliers & Pendants

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If you’re looking for a way to make a big impact on a space in a relatively small way, think about lighting. Lighting improves a space from both an aesthetic as well as a functional perspective.

Updating a ceiling light from say a semi-flushmount fixture to a chandelier in a dining room, for example, will add a dramatic difference to the space. When hung above a dining table, the general rule of thumb is that the bottom of the chandelier should sit somewhere between 30″ to 36″ above the table for a room with a ceiling of average height (about 8′).This will really anchor the room and connect the dining table to the light fixture. Drawing your eye up from the table to the light fixture to the ceiling can also help the space feel taller.

In our little apartment, we unfortunately have a relatively hideous semi-flushmount light fixture. The only positive thing about it is that it’s on a dimmer, so we’re winning in that department. The light fixture sits close to 5′ above our dining table, so it makes the table look like it’s sort of floating in the middle of the dining room. This is why a proprotionately sized chandelier or pendant plays such a big role in a rooms design and decor; it keeps the space feeling connected and grounded.

From a functional perspective, light can dramatically impact the way you feel about a space. If a room is poorly lit it doesn’t lend itself to being a space you truly want to spend time in. Adding overhead lighting, particularly those wired to a dimmer, can give you any amount of light you need and help to create the mood you desire at any given time. If you’re crafting with your kids, you might want the light as bright as possible; however, when you’re serving a special dinner with friends and family, you may want to dim the overhead lighting and light some candles to add ambiance, extra warmth, and of course, another source of light on the table or buffet.

There are plenty of spaces to use chandeliers and pendants, so don’t be afraid to think beyond the usual places you’d see them like in a dining room. They look lovely in a breakfast nook, above a coffee table in a living or family room, a playroom, in a foyer or entryway, bathrooms or in bedrooms. The higher the ceiling and the larger the space, the more likely you’ll have the opportunity incorporate chandeliers versus pendants in rooms due to their generally larger size.

CHANDELIERS & PENDANTS

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