When illuminating your home with light fixtures, the secret isn’t just in choosing the right bulb (though that’s important too). The true magic comes from hanging the fixture at the perfect height. Secure it too high, and it’ll feel disconnected from the space; too low, and you’ll risk hitting your head.
There are a few foolproof rules to follow to get the height just right, though. Follow the guidelines below — all recommended by Sarah Speck, director of product strategy and partnerships at Hudson Valley Lighting Group — to find the sweet spot every time.
How High To Hang Fixtures
Chandeliers
Scale is essential for chandeliers. To size a chandelier for proportionality, not clearance, first determine the appropriate diameter by adding the room’s length and width in feet, then converting that number to inches. For example, an 8-by-7-foot room calls for a fixture about 15 inches wide. For height, multiply the ceiling height (in feet) by 2.5 to 3 to get the ideal fixture height in inches — but only if the ceiling height and placement allow. For a 10-foot ceiling, for example, the ideal fixture height is 25 to 30 inches. In open areas, leave at least 7 feet of clearance from the floor to the bottom of the fixture. If the chandelier is placed over a table or island, hang it 30 to 34 inches above the surface.
Sconces
Bathroom sconces look best mounted 60 to 65 inches from the floor to the midpoint of the backplate and spaced about 28 inches apart, ideally flanking a mirror. For bedside plug-in sconces, Speck recommends hanging them 55 to 60 inches from the floor to the top of the fixture — that way you can easily reach them while lying down.
Table Lamps
While table lamps are not hung, it’s best to keep the bottom of a table lamp’s shade about 42 inches from the floor. “It’s a small detail that makes a big difference,” Speck says.
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Lighting Above Surfaces
Over a Dining Table
Speck aims for 30 to 36 inches from the tabletop to the bottom of the fixture. “This helps ground the dining zone while still allowing clear sight lines,” she says.
Beside a Bed
For a high-end look in your bedroom, replace traditional bedside lamps with pendants or sconces. “I recommend hanging these so that the shade or sconce is about even with your head from a seated position,” Speck says. That usually measures to be about 42 inches above the floor for pendants or 55 to 60 inches to the top of a wall sconce (again, making sure it’s within arm’s reach).
Over a Kitchen Island
Leave 30 to 32 inches of clearance from the countertop to the bottom of the fixture, spacing them about 30 inches apart.
Before drilling into your wall or ceiling, mock up the fixture height with string or painter’s tape. Live with it for a day, then adjust as needed. “This will help to visualize how the fixture will feel in the room,” Speck says.
