How to choose the right chandelier for every room

The right chandelier depends on three things: how big the room is, how high the ceiling is and what you do there. Below you will find the guidelines for each room, a starter table and examples from the Ideal Lux and Maytoni product specifications. The whole range is in the Chandeliers collection.

What size should the chandelier be relative to the room?

Add the room's length and width in metres and multiply by about 8: the result is the approximate chandelier diameter in centimetres.

The rule comes from the sizing guides used by designers (Lighting New York: the sum of the room's dimensions in feet gives the diameter in inches), which we have converted into metres and centimetres. A 4 × 5 m living room gives 9 × 8 ≈ 72 cm, and a 3 × 4 m bedroom 7 × 8 ≈ 56 cm. Above a dining table, the same guide recommends a chandelier roughly half to two-thirds the width of the table. It is a starting point: a more open fitting can be larger, while a solid one can be smaller.

Which chandelier should you choose for the living room?

In the living room, choose a generous chandelier or a multi-light pendant, sized by the rule above and easy to dim in the evening.

Examples from the specifications: the Gemini SP D105 ring is 105 cm in diameter, 8,600 lm and 2700 K; Oracle Slim D150 is 150 cm and dimmable (DALI); Perlage SP11 is 73 cm with 11 G9 bulbs included; Casanova SP8 is 88 cm with 8 E14 lamp holders. All the pendants here have an adjustable suspension (up to 200 cm for Gemini, Oracle Slim and Perlage), so they also suit high ceilings. For the room-by-room selection, see living room chandeliers, and for classic pieces, candelabra chandeliers.

−25% Ideal LuxGemini SP D105 On-Off 2700K pendant chandelierBrass €438,95€585,95 −25% Ideal LuxPerlage SP11 pendant chandelierWhite €457,95€610,95 −24% Ideal LuxMonet SP6 Pendant Chandelier €390,95€520,95 −24% MaytoniMaytoni Karolina Candelabra Gold karolina, 6 bulbs, gold €303,95€404,95 −25% Ideal LuxOracle Slim SP D150 round pendant chandelier 3000K DALIWhite €468,95€625,95 −25% Ideal LuxCasanova SP8 Pendant Chandelier €562,95€750,95

Which chandelier suits the bedroom?

In the bedroom, a ceiling light or a flush-mounted chandelier with warm light works well, plus a wall light or bedside lamp for reading.

Flat ceiling lights do not hang down over the bed: Gemini PL D042 is 3.5 cm high and 2700 K, Fly PL D45 is 4.5 cm and 2700 K, and Planet PL D60 is 60 cm in diameter and 3000 K. For reading, the Bonne Nuit wall light has two light sources with separate switches, one fixed and one adjustable. See bedroom chandeliers and the full range of wall lights.

−24% Ideal LuxGemini PL D042 On-Off 2700K Ceiling LightBrass €176,95€234,95 −24% Ideal LuxFly PL D45 2700K Ceiling LightBlack €315,95€420,95 −24% Ideal LuxPlanet PL D60 Ceiling LightWhite €123,95€164,95 −24% Ideal LuxOz PL D040 On-Off 3000K Ceiling LightBrass €82,95€109,95 −24% Ideal LuxBonne Nuit-1 AP wall lampNickel €56,95€74,95

Which chandelier goes above the kitchen island?

Above the island you usually hang two or three identical small pendants or a linear chandelier, with the bottom about 75–90 cm above the worktop.

The guide quoted above recommends 30–36 inches (about 76–91 cm) between the table and the chandelier. The small pendants in the specifications have a 200 cm suspension, which the electrician shortens to the desired height: Yurta SP1 (Ø 21 cm, E27), Kalique-3 (Ø 28 cm, E27), Bistro' (Ø 24 cm, blown glass) and Look LED SP1 (3000 K, 1,000 lm). Glass and metal are easier to clean than fabric. See kitchen chandeliers or all the pendant lights; for general lighting, a magnetic track also works well.

−24% Ideal LuxYurta SP1 D21 pendant chandelierBlack €52,95€69,95 −24% Ideal LuxEquinoxe SP1 D25 pendant chandelierBrass €123,95€164,95 −25% Ideal LuxKalique-3 SP1 D28 pendant chandelierCopper €296,95€395,95 −25% Ideal LuxBistro' SP1 square pendant chandelierTransparent €108,95€145,95 −25% Ideal LuxLook LED SP1 Pendant ChandelierSquare, d30 h400, on-off, 3000k, black €129,95€173,95

Which light fitting can you put in the bathroom?

In the bathroom, use fittings rated at least IP44 in their specification, meaning protected against splashing water from any direction.

The IP code has two digits: the first indicates protection against solid objects and dust, the second protection against water; 4 means protection against splashes, 5 against water jets (IEC 60529 standard). Examples from the specifications: the Ray ceiling light (IP44, Ø 30, 40 or 60 cm, 3000–4000 K), the Lolly wall light (IP44), the Maytoni Hydra ceiling light (IP44) and the Riflesso and Pretty linear wall lights (IP54). Near the bath or shower the rules are stricter; the exact zone is determined by the electrician. More in ceiling lights.

−25% Ideal LuxRay PL D30 Ceiling LightWhite €138,95€185,95 −25% Ideal LuxRay PL D40 Ceiling LightBlack €202,95€270,95 −24% Ideal LuxLolly AP1 patchTransparent €37,95€49,95 −25% Ideal LuxRifflesso AP D62 wall-mounted faucetChrome €108,95€145,95 −25% MaytoniMaytoni Hydra Ceiling LightMatte gold hydra, matte gold €50,95€67,95 −24% Ideal LuxPretty AP D060 Patch €75,95€100,95

Which light fittings work in the hallway?

Flat ceiling lights and wall lights that give even illumination work in the hallway, without getting in the way of doors or heads.

With a low ceiling, choose a ceiling light: Ziggy PL D030 (2,750 lm, 3000 K) or Universal PL D30, which the specification lists for ceiling or wall mounting. In long hallways, up-and-down wall lights such as Delta LED AP D110 light the ceiling too, not just the floor. If you still choose a pendant, keep about 2.1 m of clearance beneath it, as the same guide recommends.

−24% Ideal LuxDelta LED AP D110 3000K Wall LightBlack €111,95€148,95 −25% Ideal LuxZiggy PL D030 Ceiling LightBlack €119,95€160,95 −24% Ideal LuxUniversal PL D30 Square Ceiling Light 3000K €37,95€49,95 −25% Ideal LuxRound LED wall light AP2 D30 H300 On-Off 3000KBlack €63,95€85,95 −25% MaytoniMaytoni Pauline ceiling lightBlack pauline, 1 bulb, black €19,95€26,95

Which colour temperature should you choose for each room?

For the bedroom and living room choose 2700–3000 K, while for the kitchen, bathroom or study you can go towards a more neutral 3000–4000 K.

The colour temperature is stated in the specification, in kelvin (K): the lower the value, the warmer the light. Some models come in several versions (for example Gemini in 2700 K, or Oz in 3000 K and 4000 K), and Ray is 3000–4000 K. For fittings with a lamp holder, you choose the temperature through the bulb; see light bulbs.

Which chandelier to choose, in brief, room by room?

The table sums up the guidelines above; the exact dimensions of each model are in the product specification.

Would you like to see the chandeliers switched on? Visit us at our showroom in Satu Mare. For more affordable options, see chandeliers and wall lights under 500 lei.