While I've been known to color outside the lines on occasion, there are some 'rules' that are just spatially pleasing or physically necessary; at the very least, they need acknowledged before they are broken!
1) How high off my dining table should I hang my chandelier?
- Typically, a chandelier should hang about 30" from the table with an 8' ceiling. Exceptions: taller ceilings require raising chain 3" for every extra foot of ceiling height.
2) How do I size a chandelier for my dining room?
- There are some factors in play here, but you can have some fun with this one; a good rule of thumb would be to measure the width and length of your room and add together, i.e., a 12 x 12 room would need a 24" diameter chandelier (though consider using two smaller ones over a larger table, especially if one fixture would visually hang between two windows and obscure a great piece of art... not to mention how magical night-time illumination would look from the outside) Note: with a normal height ceiling measure dining table width and make sure fixture is about 12" less in diameter so folks don't bump foreheads into it getting seated...
3) What size rug should I use in my dining room?
- Usually, you want to allow 18' to 24" of flooring to show beyond the rug borders, but do size it big enough that the table and tucked in chairs are on it.
4) How much room do I need from dining table to wall?
- Allow 32" for a chair and access to it - if you need to walk behind seated persons, allow 44" (this can get squeezed during holiday dinners without fatalities)
5) How far from my sofa should I put the cocktail table?
- You want 18" between the two so you can access the sofa and have a comfortable reach for your martini.
6) How high above my sofa should I hang my art?
- Between 8" to 10" above the sofa, depending on the size of both - which brings us to...
7) How big should my picture be that is going above my sofa?
- Soo glad you asked: keep artwork length to about 2/3 the length of the sofa; the height can vary wildly according to ceiling height and desired effect...however, this rule is subject to dramatic license on a case-by-case basis...the only rule that is in stone would be: Love the art! or pass it along...
