How to choose the size of the ceiling light according to the room
Just as the wrong measurement can make or break a recipe, choosing a light fixture of the wrong size can seriously disrupt the design of a space. We recommend a happy medium between too large and too small, so that the light fixture is in harmony with the scale of the space without overwhelming it or looking awkwardly small.
The 3 criteria for installing a ceiling light
To successfully install your light fixture in any room, you need to take three important measurements: scale, clearance, and spacing. Here is how to calculate each of these measurements:
1- Scale: Diameter and height of a ceiling light
Let's start with a few basic parameters before adding lighting.
(Note: these guidelines apply to ceiling fixtures such as chandeliers, ceiling lights, and pendant lights in open spaces such as living rooms and bedrooms).
Start with an open space, noting its height, length, and width.
Diameter
To determine the ideal diameter of a ceiling light fixture for your room:
-Measure the length and width of the room in meters.
-Example: 3 m x 3.65 m
-Add the two lengths together.
-Example: 3 + 3.65 = 6.65 m
Replace this value in meters with centimeters (so 6.65 m becomes 66.5 cm).
-Example: 6.65 m > 66.5 cm
-This is the ideal diameter for a ceiling light fixture in this room.
-Example: 66.5 cm wide
Height
To determine the ideal height of a light fixture for your room, start with the floor-to-ceiling height in meters.
-Example: 3 m in height
-Multiply this height by 2.5 to 3 cm per meter.
-Example: 3 x 2.5 to 3 = 7.5 to 9 cm
-This is the ideal height of the light fixture for this room.
-Example: 7.5 to 9 cm high
2- Clearance: How high a ceiling light can be mounted
Depending on the room or the location of the light fixture, the length or mounting height of a light fixture is just as important as its size. The required clearance depends on the space in which the light fixture is used.
In living rooms, bedrooms, or open foyers, people may pass under the light fixture:
Maintain a space of 2.5 meters between the bottom of the light fixture and the floor.
If you have a 2.5 m ceiling, consider a low-profile recessed mount to maintain the clearance and general lighting requirements of the room.
In an entryway or open hallway, hang chandeliers or ceiling lights with the bottom at least 10 cm higher than the door.
In bathrooms:
Above the bathtub, maintain 2.45 m between the top of the tub and the bottom of the light fixture. This can be difficult to maintain in small bathrooms, so if the height does not allow you to follow this rule, consider a smaller chandelier or recess it at least 90 cm away from the center axis above the tub (while maintaining a clearance height of 2.15 m under the light fixture).
3- Spacing: Where to mount ceiling lights
Spacing around and between light fixtures is also important, especially regarding surrounding furniture, such as a kitchen island or a dining room table. Ceiling lights mounted in the kitchen and dining room above a specific spot use the instructions mentioned above, with slight adjustments, mainly regarding the mounting height and the diameter or width.
Take into account the shape and size of the table.
Long rectangular or oval tables pair well with linear ceiling lights or multi-light ceiling fixtures.
Square or round tables are better suited to a single ceiling light or a chandelier placed right in the middle.
Multi-light fixtures are also interesting in this case: try a round candelabra multi-light for a more spectacular effect.
If you prefer multiples, smaller pendants lined up along the table are just as impressive.
When installing a light fixture above a table, make sure its width or length is at least 30 cm shorter than the total length of the table (or 15 cm less on each side).
Mount it at a height between 71 cm and 91 cm between the bottom of the light fixture and the tabletop.
Want to enhance a table? Discover our ceiling lights for pleasant general lighting above your dining room!
Lighting above a kitchen island
Ceiling lights and mini-ceiling lights are commonly used to provide ambient and task lighting above an island or countertop.
Make sure to plan equal spacing around each light fixture, whether or not you combine spotlights, floor lamps, and ceiling lights.
Use this formula to determine it:
Measure the length of the island/table in centimeters.
-Example: 152 cm wide
Determine the desired number of ceiling lights as well as the diameter of each. Add them together to get the combined diameter.
-Example: 3 ceiling lights with a diameter of 20 cm. Combined diameter = 60 cm
-Subtract the combined diameter from the length of the island.
-Example: 152 cm – 60 cm = 92 cm
Add 1 to the number of ceiling lights. This allows you to account for the space between each ceiling light and the ends of the island.
-Example: Since we started with 3 ceiling lights, we change this number to 4
-Divide the subtracted value by the new number.
-Example: 92 cm ÷ 4 = 23 cm
You should aim for about 23 cm of space between each ceiling light
With this way of calculating the dimensions of the ceiling light you will need according to your interior spacing, you can determine the ideal accent light fixture to illuminate your interior!