How High to Hang a Chandelier Over a Table & Our New Kitchen Nook Chandy

Learn how high to hang a chandelier over a table and check out our new chandelier for our kitchen nook. I couldn’t be more thrilled with how this space is coming together!

Learn what size chandelier to buy, how high to hang a chandelier over a table, and other considerations for choosing a chandelier.

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosure.

HOW TO PICK OUT A CHANDELIER

There are a lot of things to consider when picking out a chandelier over a table, such as how high to hang a chandelier over a table and what size chandelier to buy.

What Size Chandelier Should I Buy?

When considering the size of the chandelier to purchase, you’ll need to find the right size for your specific table.

First, measure the width of your table.

You’ll want your chandelier to be anywhere from 1/2 the width of your table to 2/3 the width of your table.

The main reason this is important is so that your lighting fixture doesn’t look too small or too big.

However, if you want to go with a larger fixture than 2/3 the width of your table, I say go for it, especially if you’re looking to make a big impact in the space! But, I wouldn’t choose a fixture that is more than the width of your table.

When choosing a chandelier for my dining table, I first measured our table and then did the math to find the dimensions of a proper-sized chandelier.

My round table is 40” in width, so I considered chandeliers with a width between 20”-26”. The chandelier I chose to purchase for our kitchen nook dining table is 26” width, so I went with a width 2/3 the width of my table.

After seeing it in the space, I’m glad I went with a chandelier 2/3 the width of the table. I personally think a little bigger is better than too small.

Fun fact: when I originally created the design for this space, I thought I wanted a dome-shaped pendant light, like these:

I decided at the last minute to go with this four-light chandelier. I’m so happy I went with this option because I think it flows really well with the rest of our home.

How high to hang a Chandelier Over a Table

Next up, it’s important to consider how high to hang a chandelier over a table.

If you have an 8′ ceiling, 34” (plus or minus an inch or two) is a good height to hang your light fixture, from the tabletop to the bottom of the fixture.

If you have a taller ceiling than 8′, add about 3″ to the height of where you hang your chandelier, per additional foot of ceiling height.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Style & Color

When choosing a chandelier, you’ll want to, of course, consider the style and color(s) of the chandelier.

If you can’t envision it in your head, I suggest making a mood board in Canva. You can do this for free!

Watch my Instagram stories for a mood board how-to tutorial.

Another option to make sure you’re picking out a great one for your space is to find some inspiration on Pinterest!

Chain links or no?

You’ll also want to consider if you want chain links or not. Some light fixtures have chain links, which are great if you’re doing a “swing” with your chandelier.

When searching for a chandelier for our kitchen nook, I knew I needed to find one with chain links so we could create the “swing” effect with it.

We didn’t want to move the electrical, so to get around that issue we planned to drape the chain from the original ceiling hole and secure it above our dining table using a swag hook.

If you’re doing a similar project, make sure to get a hook that holds the weight of your chandelier. The hook we got holds 30 lbs. and the chandelier we got is just over 5 lbs., so it worked out great.

I actually couldn’t believe that the chandelier was only 5 lbs. until we got it and I felt it. It is super light weight and looks way heavier than it is.

The hook was super easy to install. I made sure to get a white hook so it blended in with our ceiling. You can barely notice it!

PROGRESS ON OUR KITCHEN NOOK

We’ve made so much progress with our kitchen nook project so far, and our new chandelier made such a big impact.

If you missed the beginning of this kitchen nook project, here are some related posts:

How to Build a Kitchen Nook Bench
DIY Breakfast Nook Plans & Friday Faves
Where to Get Beautiful Cheap Wall Art (that’s in our Kitchen Nook)
Kitchen Nook Updates & Friday Faves for Spring

I have a couple more additions I’m planning for this space, including:

A Classic roman shade – I ordered a custom shade to fit my window specifically. I chose the color Golden Ecru with an inside mount, cordless lift, flat fold, and a blackout liner.
Pillow covers – I ordered a couple new pillow covers for my pillow inserts that will go on the bench in this space. They are this beige pillow cover in 20×20 and this peppercorn stripe pillow cover in 20×20.
custom bench cushions – more on this later!

We are getting so close to finishing this project, and I can hardly wait!