Choosing Your New Chandelier

Choosing the right chandelier for your foyer or dining room should be an organized process. You want to make sure it is a reflection of your attitudes and tastes. A chandelier adds style to a room, but is generally a poor light source. Keeping this in mind, here's how to shop for a chandelier that works for your home.

Choose a chandelier that can hang at the right height when a table is centered beneath it. Consider both the chandelier and the room you're lighting: if the chandelier has bare bulbs it will need to be hung high enough to avoid glare. Remember that a chandelier is more of a room decoration than a functional light fixture. It doesn't need a large quantity of flame bulbs just because the room is big; let other lighting in the room appropriately supplement a more restrained chandelier. Avoid glare problems by buying a chandelier equipped with tiny shades (mini-shades) or adding tiny shades to bare candle-type lighting. You can also reduce glare by putting the fixture on a dimmer and then supplementing the room lighting with sconces, table lamps or recessed lighting.

If you want your chandelier to match the room closely, install up-to-the-minute mini-shades - they're easy and relatively inexpensive to replace. Choose a chandelier that meshes with the mood and style of the other furnishings in the room: wall sconces, furniture, wallpaper, window treatments and other accessories. Try to keep metals in the room in finishes that harmonize.

Pay attention to scale. Bigger is usually better; too often a chandelier can look tiny. Remember that a chandelier is a dust magnet. Examine potential purchases for ease of cleaning and keep in mind that simpler designs are usually easier to clean. Determine whether a potential purchase uses specialty bulbs or standard bulbs. Specialty bulbs can be hard to find and/or expensive.

Proper attention to these details can make the difference between a chandelier you will love to look at in your home for years, or an eyesore that you prefer to avoid.

About The Author
Dave Michaels
Article by Dave Michaels of http://www.chandeliertips.com.