Lighting Academy Rules of thumb our design team uses every day for sizing, placement, brightness and color temperature.
Add the room’s length and width in feet. The total, in inches, is a good starting diameter for the chandelier. A 12 x 14 foot dining room, for example, suits a chandelier around 26 inches wide. Over a dining table, choose a chandelier about one-half to two-thirds the width of the table, and hang the bottom 30 to 36 inches above the tabletop for an 8-foot ceiling. Add about 3 inches for each additional foot of ceiling height. In walkways and entries, keep the bottom at least 7 feet above the floor.
Hang island pendants so the bottom sits 30 to 36 inches above the countertop. Space them about 30 inches apart, center to center, and keep the outer pendants roughly 6 inches or more inside each end of the island. Two larger pendants suit shorter islands; three smaller ones work well on longer islands.
A vanity light over the mirror should be about 75 percent of the mirror’s width and never wider than the mirror. Mount it roughly 75 to 80 inches above the floor. For the most flattering light, add sconces on each side of the mirror at about eye level, 60 to 66 inches from the floor. Bathrooms call for damp-rated fixtures, and fixtures inside a shower need a wet rating. Keep color temperature consistent within a room so fixtures don’t clash.
LEDs use far fewer watts for the same light, so shop by lumens. As a guide: a 40-watt incandescent bulb gives about 450 lumens, a 60-watt about 800 lumens, a 75-watt about 1,100 lumens and a 100-watt about 1,600 lumens. Mount fan blades at least 7 feet above the floor; 8 to 9 feet is ideal. Use a downrod on higher ceilings and a hugger fan on low ceilings. Covered porches need a damp-rated fan; exposed locations need a wet-rated fan. Add the room’s length and width in feet; that number in inches is a good starting diameter. A 12 x 14 foot room suits a chandelier about 26 inches wide. Hang the bottom 30 to 36 inches above the table for an 8-foot ceiling, adding about 3 inches for each extra foot of ceiling height. About 75 percent of the mirror’s width, and never wider than the mirror. Most kitchens look best at 3000K to 3500K, a soft to neutral white that keeps colors natural. About 800 lumens. A 144 square foot room suits a fan of about 36 to 42 inches.Quick guides to lighting your space right
How big should a chandelier be?
Hanging pendants over an island
Sizing bathroom vanity lights
Choosing color temperature
LED brightness: watts to lumens
Picking the right ceiling fan size
Quick answers
How do I size a chandelier for my room?
How high should a chandelier hang over a dining table?
How wide should a vanity light be?
What color temperature is best for a kitchen?
How many lumens replace a 60-watt bulb?
What size ceiling fan do I need for a 12 x 12 room?
