how to find the right ceiling light size
When you’re selecting ceiling lights, you want to choose light fixtures that will adequately complement the rooms in your home. By choosing the right size for your light fixtures, each room will be properly illuminated and will also look intentionally amazing.
Here are some tips you should keep in mind when you’re shopping for ceiling lights:
Scale The Room
You need to measure various aspects of the room before you choose a light fixture like a chandelier or pendant. Think about it this way: if you choose a light fixture that is too small, your room will feel uncomfortably large. If you choose a light fixture that is too large, your room will feel cluttered and overwhelming. We’re talking about finding Goldie Locks lighting here — your ceiling light size should be juuust right.
To scale the room, you need to determine the diameter and the height of the light fixture.
The diameter of the light fixture should be the total sum of feet for the length and width of the room, except in inches. For example, if the room is 20 feet by 10 feet, the light fixture’s diameter should be 30 inches wide. (20+10=30)
The height of the light fixture can be determined by measuring the total height of the room. You then take that measurement and multiply it by three, and swap that value in feet for inches. For example, if your room is 12 feet high, the ideal height for a light fixture in that room is somewhere around 36 inches. (12 x 3=36)
Determine Your Clearance Heights
This measurement is important to make sure the taller people in your household are able to walk around and under any ceiling lights comfortably. The necessary clearance suggested varies for each room.
For your bedrooms, foyers, or living rooms, there should always be at least seven feet of clearance between the light fixture and your floor. For your bathrooms, you should hang any light fixtures at least eight feet above the clearing of a bathtub.
Pay Attention To Your Spacing
Spacing essentially means the areas on your ceiling where you install your ceiling lights. You don’t want the rooms in your home to be overbearing when it comes to their lighting, but you also don’t want them to be under-lit. If you’re hanging a ceiling light fixture above a table, make sure its width is at least one foot shorter than the length of the table on either side. Ensure that if you’re hanging several ceiling lights, you space them evenly.