In case you haven't heard, we LOVE lighting. After all, it is the playful pendants and cheery chandeliers that have made Stray Dog into the company it is today. Here at SDD, we believe lighting is everything. We love it so much that we've been hand crafting iconic light fixtures for over 25 years and we don't plan on stopping anytime soon.
Once you've carefully designed your room and received your Stray Dog piece, it's important that every last detail is drawn out to perfection. This brings us to a commonly asked question from our customers: What's the perfect height to hang my new chandelier, pendant, or lantern from the ceiling?
The good news is, we've got answers! See below for our go-to guide for hanging your next favorite statement piece:
Our answer is the dreaded 'it depends.' The height of your fixture depends on the room, your personal preference, and even how tall the people are in your household.
Let's tackle this by room type:
The Dining Room Table
When it comes to the dining room table, let your gut lead the way. As your testing the height, see what feels good and makes the most sense for your space. When it comes to the guidelines here, there are some rules that most people follow; just know they aren't hard and fast.
Two factors are at play here: the height of the room and the distance from the dining room table to the bottom of the fixture. If we're getting technical, the chain should be 3 inches long for every foot of ceiling height. (i.e. for an 8ft. ceiling, the fixture should hang 30-36" above the table, depending on the size of the fixture.
A few things to consider:
- In the design world, it's considered more modern to hang your chandelier closer to the ceiling - more traditional to hang it closer to your table.
- Depending on the size of your table and/or dining room, you may want to add multiple fixtures. We always say two Stray Dog pieces are better than one!
- In the end, follow what you like and what works for your family. Be sure to always measure twice, hang once.
Examples:
Left: Designer - @ashleighclarkidg, Piece - Drum Pendant | Right: Designer - Jill Goldberg, Piece - Big Bufta
Left: Designer - @nicoledavisinteriors, Piece - Melissa Chandelier | Right: @jenniferbarroninteriors, Piece - Chucho Chandelier
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The Kitchen Island
The kitchen island is a little trickier because you want to make sure you give yourself room to work without hitting your head. This is where you will definitely want to consider the height of your people. In an ideal world, the bottom of the fixture won't hang lower than the tallest person in your household.
A few things to consider:
- Make sure your pendant hangs at least 6" from the edge of your table/countertop.
- If your island is less than 5" long, you can do one large pendant or two medium sized pendants
- If your island is larger than 5" long, it can probably take two larger or three medium sized pendant.
Examples:
Left: Designer - @dwellinganddesign , Piece - Adelaide Chandelier | Right: Designer - @kendallksimmons , Piece - Girly Chandeliers
Left: Designer - @ashleighclarkidg , Piece - Little Girl Hanging Lantern | Right: Designer - @katrinaporterdesigns , Piece - Geo Chandelier
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The Foyer/Entryway
Welcome home! What's the first thing you want to see when you arrive home? Let us guess... it's a Stray Dog piece?! Good answer! Now that you've decided what you want, let's look at how you'll hang it.
If you have standard 8" ceilings in your foyer, hang your piece at least 7" above the ground. Hang them around 8" high with taller ceilings.
A few things to consider:
- If the chandelier hangs from a 2-story ceiling, don't let it hang lower than the height of the first floor.
- This is a great place to make a statement with your lighting and decor.
Examples:
Left: Designer - @taste.interiorsanddesign , Piece - Little Girl Hanging Lantern | Right: Designer - @d2interieurs , Piece - Celeste Chandelier
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