 Crystal Chandeliers
It may very well be that crystal chandeliers are what comes to mind when you try to envision one of these majestic fixtures in your mind. After all, many of the classic films produced during Hollywood’s “Golden Era” featured a grand crystal chandelier quite often. While these elegant fixtures are certainly exotic and beautiful, they were actually used in many of the classic films because they were in black and white (and thus the audience could never appreciate the glamour of a lavish Tiffany chandelier because the color palate would be limited) and crystal could readily be perceived by the viewer.
In any event, these crystal light fixtures were featured far more prominently in old movies than would probably been the case had they not been shot on black and white film. For a ballroom or some dining hall in a palace, there is no doubt that crystal chandeliers convey unparalleled elegance and grace. However cliché these magnificent light fixtures may have become thanks to Hollywood, no one can deny that a crystal chandelier elevates your décor to an entirely new and exciting level.
However, unless you actually happen to have a grand ballroom in your home with 20 foot ceilings, you probably will not be needing one of those oversized chandeliers seen in all the movies. Truthfully, no matter how great a crystal light fixture may look in the movies, it simply will not fit with the surrounding décor and space if it is disproportionate to the dimensions of the space it illuminates.
It is easy to determine the dimensions necessary for a chandelier if you know not only the room in which you intend to use it—but where it will actually be used as well. For instance, in the dining room, the diameter of the chandelier should approximately equal 1/3 the length of the table. So, if you have a six-foot long dining table, you will probably be looking for a chandelier with a diameter of approximately 24 inches.
You may need a slightly larger chandelier, however, if you happen to have a particularly high ceiling in the space. Normally, your chandelier would hang 3 inches above the surface of the dining table for every foot of ceiling height. For a nine foot ceiling, therefore, the chandelier would hang roughly 27 inches above the tabletop surface. But if you happen to have a vaulted ceiling and thus need to hang the chandelier higher above the table, then the diameter of the fixture will also need to be adjusted by a similar proportion.
In truth, any space that can be beautified by a standard ceiling fixture can be sensationalized by a crystal light fixture. You will need to make sure that the lighting scheme is balanced by other crystal fixtures so that the illumination is provided by multiple sources. Not only will this help reduce problems with glare and dark spots, it will also bring harmony to the space and create a more professional look to the space. Don’t let the clichés throw you—crystal chandeliers will imbue a space with more beauty and sophistication than just about any other option out there—when chosen properly!
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