Chandelier Size Calculator: Find the perfect size for every shape table and room (with illustrations)

Choosing the perfect chandelier can be an overwhelming decision. There are lots of factors to consider. I’m going to help you take all of the guesswork out of the equation.

There are two different size measurements, one for chandeliers that will hang over a table and one for chandeliers in a room. Once you have your chandelier, there are more measurements to consider like how low should it hang from the ceiling?

This is a simple, straightforward answer to your all of your chandelier size questions. If you have specific questions about a chandelier you are considering purchasing, leave a comment with the details of your room size or table size.

Size Calculator: Chandelier Over A Table

The formula for a chandelier size over a table is:

Table width in inches – 12 = maximum chandelier width

This formula works if you have a square or circular table. For example, if you have a 42-inch square or circular table, you want a 30-inch wide chandelier. If your table is rectangular, you still use the same formula for the width of the table, but you might want to consider a chandelier that isn’t round but more rectangular.

chandelier over a table

Rectangular chandeliers – If your chandelier is rectangular, the chandelier should not be closer than 12 inches from the long ends of the table.

Size Calculator: Chandelier For A Room

Use this formula if you are looking for a chandelier for your bedroom, living room, entry or any room where there is no table.

Room width in feet + Room Length in Feet = maximum chandelier width in inches

To give you an example, a room that is 12 feet wide by 14 feet long should have a 26-inch chandelier. You can go larger, but if you size down the chandelier might look too small for the space.

chandelier size

Size Calculator: Chandelier Height Over A Table

The rule of thumb for chandelier height is:

30-36″ above the table

This formula should be adjusted for the height of your ceiling. You can read more about the ideal height for a chandelier and how to adjust it here.

chandelier height over table

Size Calcultor: Chandelier Height For A Room

The height of a chandelier in a living room, bedroom, entry or any other room depends on the height of the ceiling.

For 8 foot ceiling, hang chandelier with bottom 7 feet from the ground

If your ceilings are higher than eight feet, the chandelier shouldn’t be hung higher than eight feet. If you have a chandelier hanging in an open 2-story area, it should not hang below the first story.

If you have specific questions about what size chandelier will best in your space, leave a comment. I love to see other people’s lighting and it’s always nice to get a second opinion.

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36 Comments

  1. Wow – you make it so easy Andrea! I’ve got a couple chandeliers in boxes waiting to be hung, and now I know how to do it, and even where to put one of them that I couldn’t decide before! Thanks for the completely useful info and inspiration! Happy Sunday!

  2. Hi Andrea!

    Thank you for your easy formula. My livingroom is 15’ L x 21’ W. I know I shouldn’t get a chandelier less than 36” but how big should I go if I want the chandelier to be the focal design element in the room?

    1. Madelyn,

      I think I would focus on finding one that you love the look of first. Then you can narrow it down by size. You can go bigger, but not if the ones you love don’t come that large. I would also look at how high your ceilings are. You can definitely go bigger than 36″ if your ceilings are 10 feet high. Its hard to say exactly how big you can go, do you have one in mind? If so share a link to it. I hope this helps.

      Andrea

  3. sharon princer says:

    Redoing our kitchen and having difficulty placing chandelier. the window is off center. we opened wall to LR and centered chandelier on dining area window. problem the table and chairs are too close to pantries which go into dining area. purchased 24” chandelier as table was 48” round. if we open table with 18” leaf it fills the space better. I could send pictures so you could visualize better.

    1. The chandelier should be in the center of the table even if that’s not the center of the window. I would love photo if you’re willing to share you can always email me at [email protected]. I don’t think 24″ is too large for 48 inch round table.

      Thanks for your question!

      Andrea

    2. Hi there! We are thinking about ordering a 40” wagon style chandelier for our 2 story family room. The dimensions are 16×18. With the high 2 story ceilings, should we worry about a 40” chandelier getting lost with the higher ceilings? We also have an open floor concept, not sure if that matters! Thanks so much!
      Stacy

      1. Stacy,

        A 40″ wagon wheel should feel large enough, but you could go bigger. Because it’s two story it can go a little higher, but you don’t want it to be too high, otherwise it looks like it’s floating and doesn’t light the space. I’m happy to take a look at links or pictures if you want to email me at [email protected]

        I hope this helps.

        Andrea

  4. Hi
    I fell in love with this lil beauty. My dinning room table is 35×66 … is 25 in chandelier going to be big?

    1. Maria,

      The rules are only meant to be a guide. It sounds like it’s close enough if you LOVE it that’s the most important thing. It’s pretty close to meeting the size (only 2inches off). I would love to see it.

      Andrea

  5. Diane Garcia says:

    Hi, my table is 38 x 62
    The chandelier I love is 32 x13
    Do you think the chandelier will be too big?

    1. Diane,

      The rules are meant as a guideline. That size sounds like it is NOT too big. Following the formula you could get one that is 26×50. The most important dimension for a rectangular table is the width, not the length.

      If your fixture is more than 26 inches wide, you might feel like you would bump into it when they stand up. A 13″ wide fixture is not too big. But the most important measure is always whether you LOVE the fixture. It sounds like you do. I would go for it. I would love to see a picture.

      Hope this helps.

      Andrea

  6. Hi Andrea! I have an island that is 50×70. The island is about 43’’ tall. The chandelier I love comes in 30’’ diameter and 20’’ high Or 21’’ diameter and 15 high. My ceiling is approximately 10 feet slanted. I’m leaning toward the smaller one since I don’t necessarily want the chandelier to take too much focus from the backsplash and views out window. Do you think the small is ok? The large one just seems so massive(but also beautiful). Thank you!

    1. Autumn,

      If you have sloped ceilings you can definitely use a bigger one. But you don’t have to.

      If you want to showcase the windows and the backsplash you can let those be the star of the space and go with the smaller one. Many people don’t have a great view from their island, so the chandelier has more of a starring role. If that were the case I would say go with the larger one. But this doesn’t sound like your situation.

      If you want to share photos and links I’m happy to take a look. Sometimes I can crop out the background and show you what it will look like over YOUR island.

      I hope this helps.

      Andrea

  7. Hi Andrea, love your site!

    Our bedroom is 18ft x 14 ft, with tiered ceiling (8 ft over bed, but they up to 10ft in other areas). we found a chandelier we love, but think its too big… 35 inches wide (so a few inches bigger than the basic guidelines, which would suggest 32 inches), but its also 31 inches high. the plan is obviously to put it where the ceiling is 10 feet, but at a minimum of 7ft, that only leaves us 5 inches to play with for either the chain or more headroom (my wife and i are both tall, I’m 6’5!). feels too big, but would love your view!

    1. Todd,

      Thanks for your question! It really depends on what the top of the fixture looks like. There are some chandeliers that look like they are meant to have a short drop from the ceiling. Here’s a visual example. https://www.visualcomfort.com/classic-two-tier-ring-chandelier-sl5813/.

      How close are the bulbs to the top? If they are not close or there’s not a lot of visual bulk at the top of the fixture, it should be OK.

      Can you see examples of the one you really like in a room with a short drop? If you want to send me a link, I am curious to see.

      There are sometimes smaller versions of the same fixture, which might also work, 2-tiers vs 3-tiers. Sometimes I take a screen shot of the one I like and ask google to do an image search to find similar items.

      I hope this helps.

      Andrea

  8. Rebecca P says:

    Hi! This is great! My son is building his home now. We are not ready for lights but searching. He has an open floor concept-vaulted ceiling kitchen and living room. The light I like for above his kitchen island is 44 in. The island is 60 wide by 36. The island and lighting are rectangular.

    1. That sounds like a good fit for your island. The vaulted ceiling gives you the chance to go big. I’m glad it was helpful.

      Andrea

  9. Hi Andrea–we have a perfectly round room that is 14′ in diameter, with a 10′ ceiling. What size chandelier do you recommend? Thank you!

    1. Stacy,

      I would aim for one that is around 28′ in diameter or bigger. With a 10′ ceiling I wouldn’t want one that came down below 8′ unless it’s sitting over a table. Does that help?

      Andrea

  10. Hi Angela: We ordered a 41.5 Iron round chandelier for a living room that is 17.1 x 14.1 and has 12 foot ceilings. Want to make sure that the size is ok it is a pole type and has electrical in center of the room. Question is we will have 4 accent chairs and a coffee table as furniture in a circle one side has a fireplace the other side of room has a large buffet/wine Console (Bar height). The back wall is 2 sets of french doors and it is open to the entry of the home.

    We are looking at coffee tables in similar size to the chandelier. Is that a mistake. Should we go smaller, ok to go alittle bigger 44 inches? Also will the chandelier need to be centered on the room or over the seating area? The ceiling has beams center beam is where the lighting cap is. If we need to center over seating I will need to get one with a chain and install a hook to swing over.

    Would a 60 inch chandelier be too big for the size of room (17 ft in length?)

    1. Jenn,

      The size guides suggest that 31″ is the minimum. I think 41 would be fine because your ceilings are high. It would look better with the chandelier centered over the circular seating area and not the room in general.

      For proportion, I would be sure to get a coffee table that is pretty substantial (not significantly smaller than the light). I could try to find an example to send you by email so you can see what I mean about the proportion.

      I hope this helps.

      Andrea

  11. Hi,

    I have a breakfast nook 10’10” x 13′ 2″, 11′ ceiling, there are 3 windows on an angle (like a bay window). My table is 54″ glass. Should chandilier be based on room size or table? Thank you

    1. Terry,

      If the chandelier is hanging in a living room or bedroom, it is usually sized by the size of the room. If it’s meant to light a dining table (which it sounds like this one is) it’s usually sized to the table and hung centered over the table. If you plan for it to light the whole room and NOT be over the table, then use the proportions of the room as the guide. Does that make sense?

      Andrea

  12. Hi,

    I have a 12w x 14l octagon shaped dining room with 12.5h ceiling. My rectangular dining table is 42″w, 30″h, 75.5l, with leaf 95.5l with leaf. I am thinking to put in a rectangular chandelier- if I go this route which size should chandelier be with 75l? Which size if I leave the leaf in 95l? Would round chandelier be better- if so which size. Thanks for your advice.

    1. Nicole,

      This is an unusual combination. I have seen octagon rooms, but most have a round table that I’ve seen. Do you have the lea in most of the time or just for guests? I would probably go with a large round fixture that is about 30″ wide. If you want to go bigger, just hang it higher than 30″ above the table. The limiting dimension is the width of the table. That’s why people often go with a rectangular shaped light over a rectangular table. I like that combination, but not sure how that works in the octagon shaped room.

      I hope this helps.

      Andrea

  13. I have a 18 ft vaulted great room. How far down should I hang my chandelier?

    1. Linda,

      It should probably go about 2 feet higher than it would in a room with standard height ceilings (around 3″ higher per foot). This means the bottom of the chandelier will be between 9-10 feet from the floor. In most rooms with standard ceilings, the bottom of a chandeleir should be around 7 feet from the floor.

      I hope this helps.

      Andrea

  14. My DR table is 48 inches wide. The length is always at 8 feet, expandable to 12 feet. I have found a 42 inch circular light. Is that too big for 48” table?

    1. Marsha,

      It sounds like a nice big table and I like this light. I would just hang it a few inches higher than 30-34 inches above the table so that when people on the sides stand up they don’t feel like they might run into it.

      I hope this helps.

      Andrea

  15. Hi Andrea,

    My dining room table is 102 inches long and 44 inches wide. I just purchased but haven’t hung a rectangular chandelier that’s 50″ x 11″. I’m afraid it’s too small now that I see it. Thoughts?
    Thanks for your help!

    1. Sue,

      You won’t find a chandelier that fits the proportion lengthwise. It’s just meant to be a guide to help you with proportion. It sounds like you’ve matched the shape of the table to your light, which is good. Your chandelier sounds fairly large. I think it will be fine, if you want to send me a picture I will photoshop it in for you, [email protected]. I hope this helps.

      Andrea

  16. Thanks so much, Andrea! I’d love to send a picture and will shortly. ~Sue

    1. Sue,

      Thanks for the photo. I think it didn’t have the link.

      Andrea

  17. Angela Jacobson says:

    I love your formula here. I’m trying to narrow down some chandelier options for my piano studio. My ceiling is 10 foot high, but the room is only 13.5 x 12.5. Currently we have a 42″ ceiling fan and it looks proportional. But we are switching to a crystal chandelier. I’m afraid a 26″ light may be too small, but I’m also not sure how to determine the correct length. It will not be touching the piano because of location in the room, but should I use the same rule for height above the flat part of the piano, rather than the tip when the lid is open? What would be your suggestion for maximum hanging length and diameter? I want it to be a statement piece, but not overwhelm the space.

    1. Angela,

      I would do a minimum of 26″. The 42″ fan is different because it doesn’t have the same visual weight as a chandelier will. Your chandelier doesn’t have to be that large.

      Is the piano in the middle of the room. You say it won’t be touching the piano, will it be over the piano? If it’s not near the piano, you don’t want the bottom to be lower than 7′ but you have nice tall ceilings.

      If you want to email me images or links I’m happy to weigh in, [email protected]. I hope this helps.

      Andrea

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