Design Tips

Dining Room

General lighting from a single chandelier or ceiling suspension wil leave the corners of the room in relative darkness. Wall sconces and other accent lights, torchieres, and buffet/sideboard lamps can assist in unifying the ambient light. The total wattages should not be too bright for dining; a dimmer switch can provide the needed flexibility.

Arevco offers many styles of chandeliers: the in-house line of solid bronze chandeliers  in several finishes, classic contemporary chandeliers and modern chandeliers.

There are guidelines for choosing a chandelier which harmonizes with  the size of the dining table and the volumetrics of the room.A chandelier should be 12 to 16 inches narrower than the table so as not to hang directly over any place setting. To guestimate the diameter of the chandelier based on the area of the room, add the length and width of the room and divide by 12.

Chandeliers need enough chain to be suspended 29 to 36 inches from the tabletop. The mass of a solid drum or a fixture with downward pointed glass shades at the bottom, usually needs to be the maximum 36 inches above; airier constructions with thin armatures and lamps located higher in the fixture can be hung lower.

Some designers advise hanging the chandelier 3 inches higher for every foot above an 8 feet ceiling height. Many of the Holtkotter modern chandeliers are height adjustable even after installation.