How Big Should My Light Fixtures Be?

Calculate the right fixture size for your room using this basic formula: measure the room’s width in feet and multiply it by two. The resulting number is the approximate measurement — in inches — that is the ideal diameter for your fixture. For example, a 10-foot-wide room would have a chandelier of about 20 inches in diameter. Alternatively, the fixture should have a diameter of about one-third the length of the table.

Alternative Options 

Instead of a chandelier, try hanging two or three small fixtures, like glass hurricane lamps or contemporary pendants, in a row down the table’s length.

Group three or four similar hanging fixtures at different heights about the center of the table.

For a rustic look, hang oversized exterior fixtures, such as lanterns.

To soften too-bright light from a chandelier, cover the bulbs with little shades.

No junction box? Set one or two elegant lamps on the table.