Welcome to our Chandeliers Buying Guide

Chandeliers are very popular lighting fixtures because they can also double as a statement piece in your home. They are decorative items that come in a huge variety of styles and can fit in virtually any size of space and go along well with almost any style of decor.

 In searching for the right chandelier for your home, there are several factors you need to consider. This includes the size of your room, height of your ceiling, and the design and material of the chandelier you are using.

 This guide will be your introduction to the beautiful world of chandeliers. We’ll cover the different types and styles of chandeliers available on the market today; plus, we have a section here on how to buy chandeliers via any retailer.

 Styles of Chandeliers

Chandeliers come in a number styles to choose from. This often includes drum chandeliers, candle chandeliers, arts and crafts chandeliers, Tiffany chandeliers, and even antler chandeliers. The best style to pick, ultimately, is one that will match with your home’s decor. Generally, traditional styles are more intricately designed, and modern styles are much less elaborately designed, hence may fit well with more home styles.

 Drum Chandeliers

This type of chandelier is perfect for areas that need more focused lighting, for instance in small spaces such as bedrooms. Drum chandeliers typically have shades providing warm lighting that’s why it’s great for intimate spaces. These chandeliers are easy to install as well as replace.

 Candle Chandeliers

This is probably the earliest type of chandelier ever made. Candle chandeliers now have contemporary versions that use faux candles with electric lights (instead of real candles) and come in metal, crystal, or glass designs. They create a warm peaceful atmosphere.

 Crystal Chandeliers

Most people envision this type of chandelier when hearing or reading about the word “chandelier. Crystal chandeliers have always been popular (ever since the 18th-century), and are often made from crystal prisms as well as cut glass, beautifully reflecting and refracting light inside your room.

 Types of Crystals

Crystal chandeliers are also available in a variety of types or different types of crystals. These include Swarovski Strass crystals, Czechoslovakian crystals, Turkish crystals, and Italian crystals.

Swarovski crystals are famous for its quality while Czechoslovakian crystals come in a range of different grades including hand-cut or hand-polished, machine-cut or machine-polished, pressed glass, 30 percent full lead, or no lead. Machine-cut Italian crystals on the other hand can either be hand-polished or machine-polished.

The crystals in crystal chandeliers then are available in different styles of cuts as well, thus, both the type and style of cut of a crystal chandelier should be considered as well.

 Shell or Beaded Chandeliers

Akin to crystal chandeliers, this type of chandelier uses shells or beads instead of crystals. These chandeliers often use capiz shells that have an elegant mother of pearl finish though slightly less formal and lighter compared to crystal chandeliers.

 Murano or “Glass” Chandeliers

These Murano or glass chandeliers were originally created in Murano, Italy but today it can refer to a specific style of chandelier made of glass as well. Murano chandeliers usually have curvy tubes of blown glass with floral design motifs. They come in various bright colors, which create beautiful lighting effects.

 Mini Chandeliers

Mini chandeliers have become even more popular these days because basically, they are that style of chandelier that comes in “mini” or smaller sizes. You can put them in almost any room in your house hence its popularity. Although small, they are more versatile compared to dramatic large-sized chandeliers that always need a high ceiling.

 Chandelier Installation Tips

 Chandelier Sizes

Among the most important factors when looking for a chandelier is figuring out the size you need to get. To do this, it is important to know the exact square footage of the area you want to hang your chandelier.

In general, a room with a size that is smaller than 10 feet by 10 feet matches a chandelier sized between 17-20 inches in diameter. A room that is 12 feet by 12 feet goes well with a chandelier between 26- 27 inches in diameter, and if the room is larger at 14 feet by 14 feet (or even more), then the best chandelier to use is one that is sized 24-36 inches in diameter.

 Chandelier Height

When installing a chandelier, the height of the room must also be considered. The room’s ceiling should not be lower than 30 inches above a dining table for instance; and if you’re installing the chandelier over a table, the table’s size should be larger by at least one foot than the chandelier you are using.

 Chandelier Frames

There are many different types of materials used in making a chandelier’s frame. This includes metal, glass, ceramic, plastic, and sometimes wood. Today, the most common frame used are the ones made of metal with gold or chrome finishing.

Contemporary chandelier frames are available in varioous shades of bright colors including green and red. In buying a chandelier, you should consider the frame’s final coating to make sure you are getting a chandelier with a finish that doesn’t chip or scratch easily.

The chandelier’s finish should also complement your other room’s furnishings.

 Other Tips for Installing a Chandelier

Although a chandelier serves best as the focal point of a room, it is a common mistake for everyone to let it stand as the sole lighting inside the room. Even if you are using a chandelier, you should still make sure to layer the lighting in your room, which means pairing the chandelier with other types of lighting, for instance sconces.

A dimmer chandelier is recommended as it will let you control the intensity of lighting in the room to help you achieve the most appropriate ambiance for your room or atmosphere.

 Chandelier Care, Cleaning, and Maintenance Tips

Now that you have bought a chandelier for your home, it’s also important to note how to properly care for your chandelier. A lot of chandeliers are very intricately designed, which makes make cleaning them rather time-consuming and challenging.

Obviously, a crystal chandelier that has lots of tiny little pieces would be most complicated to clean. In this case you may consider hiring a professional cleaning service to help clean your chandelier (at least regularly).

Other than than that, you can choose from a number of cleaning agents and waxes for cleaning your own chandeliers.

You can also use a solution of distilled water with ammonia. This cheap alternative makes for a good cleaning solution, but of course, the best cleaning agent to use will sill depend on the material your chandelier is made out of.

In cleaning your chandelier, avoid spraying the solution onto the fixture’s wiring, and also make sure to wait at least one day after cleaning your chandelier before turning it on.

Enjoy your beautiful home chandelier!