June 27th, 2022

Let's face it, a light fixture can make or break a room, especially when it's the focal point, which lights often can be. The perfect light fixture is a great way to express yourself, and really set your home apart. Good lighting can be pricey, but it's worth the investment, as ‘the jewelry of the home’, it’s an important final touch. Are you shopping for a new fixture? Keep reading as we’re sharing a discount code at one of favourite online lighting stores.

If you don't have the help of a professional, there are some guidelines for hanging light fixtures that will set you up for success. We have included a downloadable guide at the end with all the critical dimensions, so you can save it to refer back to!

Scale

As always with lighting, the scale is so important, the scale within the room should be taken into account, as well as the scale of the surrounding furniture. You want the light to be a focal piece, but not to overpower the rest of the space. Getting the balance right here will make everything feel cohesive.

Lighting your dining table

The general rule is; light fixtures should finish between 30-36 inches above your dining table, this allows for conversation without obstruction, with the fixture still close enough to light your table.

Based on this you can work out the measurement between the ceiling and the light fixture, if your ceiling height is more than 8’-0”, then raise your light higher than the 36 inches, so the spaces between the ceiling - light - floor, are balanced.

The width of the table is another important consideration, so select your dining table before your light fixture so you know roughly the diameter you are shopping for. The light fixture should never go past the end of your table, 6 inches on each side is a good amount of clearance. If you go for something larger than your table, you will need to adjust the height from the ceiling to allow for walking clearance below.

For ceiling-mounted lights (in fact, all dining table lights), the fixture should be centered over the table, rather than within the space.

Here are some of our favourite focal lights, which would work really well over a dining table:

Lighting your kitchen island

Firstly, the pendants should sit 30-32 inches above the surface to allow for activities below, again, while still close enough to provide the task lighting required. Of course, when you are adding more than one fixture, you will need to consider the space between them, as well as space over the island.

The general rule here is that fixtures should have a 6-inch clearance around the edge of the island.

We find 30 inches is a good number for between fixtures, but the bigger the lights, the more space you should leave. If you have an odd number, always place the middle pendant over the center of the island, and work out from there.

Here are some of our favourite pendant lights for over a kitchen island:

Lighting your living room

The most important consideration here is that your light allows for circulation below the fixture with 7’-0” clearance below. The fixture should be centered in the room, unless there is a conflicting area of focus.

If the light hangs over a piece of furniture or something that is fixed, it can be lowered slightly, but the fixture should never end below eye height, and obstruct views.

Here are some of our favourite focal lights for your living room:

Inspired to add new lighting to your home? Use the discount code ‘ARIANEDESIGNCO’ at checkout to get 10% off your order at Light House Co. This code is always valid, excluding sale items.

Happy Shopping!

Download this guide, or Pin it to refer back to.