Choosing a Chandelier
Chandeliers serve to both brighten and decorate any room with a class and elegance that is difficult to match with other types of lighting. Choosing the perfect type of functional and decorative lighting remains as important to the home as any other aspect of decoration, and that any type of light fixings, particularly chandeliers, should be added with the same care as other artworks. When hung properly and chosen carefully a chandelier can certainly add value to a home.
To determine the proper size chandelier for the foyer add the dimensions together: For example if your foyer is 12 by 16, add the 12 plus 16 to get 28. The proper size chandelier would then be 28 diameter. This works for any room.
If hanging in a dining room, measure the table - generally the chandelier should be 12 inches shorter than the table's width. It should be hung with the bottom of the fixture 30 above the tabletop for an 8 ceiling.
Consider the existing finishes in your room. Make sure your chandelier is the same, or in a complementary shade to any existing metals in the room. You don't want to have all silver picture frames and then a gold fixture. Brushed bronze, gold, and black are more muted tones that can work well in rooms where you don't have a uniformity of finishes.
Consider the colors of your room. If you have a lot of rich, warm wood and earth tones, go for gold or bronze finishes. Cool tones like blues and whites, or modern black furniture might look better with silver or black finishes.
Match the style of the room. If the room is very formal and elegant, you need an impressive fixture to complete the look. If you have antique or ornate furniture, choose more complicated chandelier designs that have scrolling designs or hanging pendants.
Colorful chandeliers create drama in the kitchen. Small ones provide elegance to powder rooms. Even walk-in closets go upscale when lit with a small chandelier.
In todays world, chandeliers are great just about anywhere - from modest homes to magnificent mansions, contemporary digs to traditional houses. They dangle decorously in almost every room of the house.
Chandeliers are beautiful centerpieces and make bold and elegant statements.