Chandeliers are customarily installed only in foyers or dining areas of grandiosely elegant homes, supposedly a housing interior embellishment exclusive to the rich. Elaborate chandeliers that comprise of cut crystal or glass have been considered as status symbols, a signature of affluence. These shimmering fixtures are classically massive, intricate and ornate, often making them suitable as centerpieces for a room. However, modern interior designers have been employing chandeliers of a wide spectrum of sizes and shapes for adorning almost any type of home, irrespective of dimensions and splendor. The aesthetic quality of chandeliers can render an inviting atmosphere and an arty accent to any home space. Chandeliers have been popularly hung over living areas, sleeping quarters, breakfast nooks, and kitchens in addition to traditionally familiar places.
These days, chandeliers do not necessarily have to be sophisticated or classy. Besides the conventional formal-type crystal chandeliers, one can now find stained-glass teacup, colonial, revival, and various other contemporary varieties of chandeliers for embellishing home interiors. While some of these contemporary designs remain to be expansive, spanning at least eight feet in diameter, others can be found no wider than two to three feet in diameter.
Chandeliers can cost a lot of money irrespective of their particular style. Thus, it is quite important to find one that appropriately accentuates your home. Top chandelier designers recommend home owners to choose a chandelier that harmonizes with the time period and overall architectural motif of the house rather than getting trendy and selecting the current fad in style. For an average home owner, buying a new chandelier every time decorative tastes evolve is really not a luxury.
When shopping for chandeliers, the first aspect to consider is the size of the room where it is meant to be hung. Fortunately, there is a general rule of thumb that will guide the appropriate choice. The chandelier should follow a simple proportion rule: approximately two inches in diameter for every foot of the room's total width. For example, if the living area is fifteen feet wide all in all, the appropriate diameter of the chandelier should be about 30 inches. But take note that the complexity of the chandelier can also project the illusion of being large – an extremely elaborate one will appear larger in the room than it actually is. Hence, one can also make the necessary adjustments to the estimated diameter to take this factor into consideration.
The second aspect to take into account is the height as well as the structure of the furniture in the room. Suppose that a certain tall hutch is fixed in the living room. It is not advised to hang the chandelier directly above this piece of furniture because it will render a cluttered look to the room. In relation to this concern, there must be enough gap for head space so that running or bumping into the chandelier when crossing the room will not occur.
Another aspect to consider is if the chandelier is meant to be hung above a second centerpiece in the room, such as a dining room table. The dimensions of the chandelier should be in proportion to that centerpiece. Another rule of thumb to abide by is to select a chandelier size which measures approximately a third of the diameter of the centerpiece.
The last aspect to be accounted for is lighting. If the chandelier is planned to be the primary source of light in an area, its brightness should be sufficient to shed light uniformly to the whole area. Furthermore, the chandelier's brightness should not overwhelm a second light source. Way to get One over this quandary is to install a dimmer switch That Allows adjustment to the amount of light the chandelier Gives off. One can also utilize table lamps, floor lamps, and corner lamps to aid in illuminating the room.