Calculators
Pendant and chandelier size calculator
A light fixture is the one object in a room that hangs in mid-air, which is why getting its size and height wrong is so visible.
On this page (3 sections)
Short answer
Over a table, the fixture should be about the table width minus 12 in (30 cm) and hang 30 to 36 in (76 to 91 cm) above the top. In an open room, add the room dimensions in feet and read the answer as inches of diameter.
The numbers, at a glance
- Diameter over a table
- Table width minus 12 in (30 cm)
- Height above a tabletop
- 30 to 36 in (76 to 91 cm)
- Room rule diameter
- Width ft + length ft = diameter in
- Minimum headroom under a fixture
- 84 in (213 cm)
Pendant and chandelier size calculator#
Sizes the fixture to the surface or the room, sets the hanging height, and spaces multiple pendants so they read as one line.
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Two different rules, and when each applies#
The furniture rule. Over a table or an island, the fixture is sized to the surface: roughly the surface width minus 12 in (30 cm), never closer than 6 in (15 cm) to either long edge. This is the rule to use whenever there is a defined surface underneath, because the fixture's job is to mark that surface.
The room rule. In an entry, a landing or an open room with nothing beneath it, add the room's width and length in feet and read the sum as a diameter in inches. A 12 x 14 ft (3.7 x 4.3 m) room takes a 26 in (66 cm) fixture. This is a scale rule rather than a lighting rule: it produces a fixture that reads as proportionate to the volume.
The two disagree in open-plan rooms, and the disagreement is diagnostic. If the room rule wants a 46 in fixture and the table rule wants 28 in, the room is telling you that the table light cannot also be the room light, and you need a second layer.
Hanging height#
Thirty to thirty-six inches above a tabletop is the standard band on an 8 ft (2.4 m) ceiling. Add 3 in (8 cm) per additional foot of ceiling so the proportion holds: on a 10 ft ceiling that is 36 to 42 in (91 to 107 cm) above the table.
Anywhere people walk, the bottom of the fixture must clear 84 in (213 cm). That is the number that governs entry chandeliers, hall pendants and anything over a circulation route.
Practical checks#
- Weight. A standard ceiling box is rated for 50 lb (23 kg). Anything heavier needs a fan-rated or structurally fixed box.
- Chain or rod length. Order by the drop you need from the ceiling to the top of the fixture body, and remember the canopy takes up 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5 cm).
- Sloped ceilings need a sloped-ceiling adapter, and the drop is measured vertically from the lowest point of the canopy.
- Glare. An open-bottomed shade over a polished table throws a reflected image of the lamp straight into the eyes of the person opposite. Choose a diffuser, a deeper shade or a dimmer.
Frequently asked questions#
How low should a chandelier hang over a table?
So the bottom sits 30 to 36 in (76 to 91 cm) above the tabletop on an 8 ft ceiling. Add about 3 in (8 cm) for every additional foot of ceiling height. The test that matters is whether two people seated opposite each other can see one another without leaning.
Should I enter the table size or the room size?
Enter the table or island size whenever there is a defined surface underneath: the fixture is being scaled to that surface. Use the room option only for an entry, a landing or an open space with nothing beneath it, where the fixture is being scaled to the volume instead.
How many pendants over a kitchen island?
Two for an island of 6 to 8 ft (1.8 to 2.4 m), three for anything longer, and odd numbers generally sit better. Space the centres 24 to 30 in (61 to 76 cm) apart and hold the outer fixtures 6 to 12 in (15 to 30 cm) inside the island ends.
Does the room rule work in every room?
No, and it is worth knowing where it fails. Adding room width and length in feet to get a diameter in inches works well for roughly square rooms between about 10 and 18 ft on a side. In a long narrow room it oversizes badly, and in a very large open plan it returns a fixture no manufacturer makes. In those cases size to the furniture underneath instead.
Sources and standards referenced#
- Lighting fixture scale conventions Trade practice, lighting showroom and interior design practice
- The IES Lighting Handbook, 10th edition Illuminating Engineering SocietyGlare and luminance guidance behind the shielding advice
We cite published codes, industry planning guidelines and manufacturer specifications. Where a figure is our own recommendation rather than a published standard, the text says so. See how we measure.