Jacques Habra asked:


Chandeliers serve to both brighten and decorate any room with a class and elegance that is difficult to match with other types of lighting. Choosing the perfect type of functional and decorative iron lighting remains as important to the home as any other aspect of decoration, and that any type of light fixings, particularly chandeliers, should be added with the same care as other artworks. When hung properly and chosen carefully a chandelier can certainly add value to a home. With so many styles of chandeliers available, it is important to make some early on decisions on what you want your chandelier to do for the room in which you are placing it. One of the first things you should consider is the manufacturer in which you are going to purchase your chandelier. The look of wrought iron chandeliers cannot be beat as it adds unlimited style and sophistication to your home, at a fraction of the cost of crystal or many other chandelier materials. Additionally, wrought iron lasts must longer, making your investment in the product a lasting, versus the short shelf life of many other chandelier materials.

Putting it in perspective

A chandelier should bring out the room in which it is placed in without distracting from the rest of the design. If you are designing a simple room, choosing an elaborate or ornate chandelier may cause it to look out of place or too predominant in the design. On the other hand, in a richly colored and heavily decorated room, a stark circular hanging may both over light the room and overpower it, coming off bleak instead of homey. If hanging in a dining room, measure the table —generally the chandelier should be twelve inches shorter than the table’s width. The proportions of the room to the chandelier can be another crucial decision. Measure both the room and any potential chandeliers to make sure that the chandelier will fit without either getting lost or engulfing your entire room. Remember that while the hanging height of your chandelier will be based mostly on the height of your room, but you will want to hang the chandelier at least eight feet high at the lowest, if possible.

Watts the problem

The strength, measured in watts, of the bulbs for your chandelier are also a consideration. Sixty watts is the normal strength for chandeliers with one or two sockets. A chandelier with more than three should use forty-watt bulbs, with these in place, should light the room without overpowering it. It may also be worth having a dimmer switch installed, which will give you more control over how much light your chandelier gives the room. This can be perfect for evening candlelit dinner parties when you want just a little extra light, but not at the expense of your candles.

Louis Wright FCS asked:


Wrought iron products are immensely popular these days. A chandelier is the centerpiece of the room and because of this, it is important that you choose a piece that complements your overall décor. To do so, keep the following tips in mind:

• Choose a material that is durable and stands the test of time: For example, many people choose crystal chandeliers, which are beautiful and somewhat durable, but don’t stay clean as easily as wrought iron. Wrought iron chandeliers can be combined with crystal to create a beautiful piece that is easier to maintain than crystal alone. This is the case with many other chandelier materials as well; you can combine wrought iron with just about anything for an incredible chandelier. A wrought iron candle chandelier is a great addition to your living room; a hand forged wrought iron chandelier looks lovely in the kitchenette area. The type of iron chandelier you purchase should depend on the space in which you plan to hang it.

• Size is a factor: The last thing you want is a chandelier that overpowers the space in which you hang it. Some can be up to eight feet wide and still others are a smaller two to three feet around. The size you choose depends on the effect you are trying to achieve as well as the overall size of the space. If you have a smaller kitchen, you need a smaller-sized wrought iron chandelier. Large spaces command larger pieces to get the desired effect. Look around at several designs to see what kind of size works for your particular space. The general rule of thumb is that a wrought iron candle chandelier should size at two inches around for every foot of the room it hangs in.

• Pay attention to price points: One of the best things about a hand forged wrought iron chandelier is the fact that is as stunning as a centerpiece and affordable, by elegant lighting standards. The key here is not to compromise quality for price. While you want a piece you can afford, you do not want something poorly made that will only last you a short while. Since a wrought iron chandelier is the centerpiece of your living space, you want to ensure that what you purchase will last for as long as possible, so that you do not find yourself shopping for a replacement every few years.

In addition to the above tips, also consider the décor of the room. If you have a lot of ornate furniture, then choose a chandelier that is a bit simpler. Adversely, if you have a bare living space, then a more complex, intricate wrought iron chandelier may be just the perfect piece to add some pizzazz to your home.

Sarika Kabra asked:


Did you know that how we eat is almost as important as what we eat? For instance a meal in a relaxed, beautiful, well lit ambience is better than a hurried meal had in unpleasant or poorly lit surroundings. Lighting for your dining room is important not only when you are entertaining, but even on a day to day basis. So if you are decorating your dining room, you should pay as much attention to lighting as the dining furniture itself.

While individual pieces of dining furniture such as dining room chairs, dining tables and other items such as hutch or sideboard create the overall appearance of a dining area, it is the lighting that really creates the ambience, the mood and the feel of the place. There are several things you need to consider when lighting up your dining room, such as the placement of lights, use of spot lights or accent lights, dimmers; all these aspects can make a difference to the final look.

Chandeliers or Pendant Lights: A well selected chandelier suspended from the ceiling over the center of the dining room table can lend grace and sophistication to your dining room. Care should be taken to see that the size of the chandelier does not dwarf the size of the room or the dining furniture and vice versa as well. It should also be suspended in a way that it is the ideal distance from the ceiling and also from the surface of the dining room table so that the lighting is optimally focused. Whereas with a chandelier you would necessarily use just one piece in a room, with pendant lighting you can use one or more matched pieces or pieces of a set which may be of graded sizes or color coordinated.

Dimmers: Dimmers can be used to great effect in conjunction with your dining furniture to create the perfect ambience. Dimmers can be set to bright for every day family dinners or get-togethers or for when the kids homework is to be supervised. In the alternative when there is formal entertaining on the menu or you need to create an intimate mood for a romantic rendezvous, the lights can be subtly lowered to create a softer and more flattering feel.

Placement: The placement of the lights is another important factor to consider. Placing a big chandelier in the center may not be a great idea if it leaves corners of the room in complete darkness. Ideally lights should be placed in a way that accentuates the décor and creates a balanced and harmonious look. Also consider whether you want suspended lighting or whether to use wall brackets or recessed lights for your lighting fixtures. So what one can do is use one central focal point for lighting and balance it out with recessed lighting fixtures at other points. You can also use wall brackets or sconces in conjunction with a central lighting fixture for optimum effect.

So let proper lighting illuminate your dining room and your dining room furniture for the greatest effect.