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Craftmade lighting makes some of the most beautiful, high quality, stylish light fixtures and ceiling fans on the market today. And truthfully, that doesn’t make it any easier to narrow down the right lighting solution for your home.

If you have a space that needs brightening and aren’t sure what to put in it, Craftmade can help. Use this guide to determine what type of light fixture will best meet both your functional and aesthetic needs.

Understanding Your Lighting Needs

Before you get ahead of yourself with exploring your wall sconce and pendant lighting options, it’s important to define what exactly you need lighting for in your space. There are three main types of lighting:

Ambient Lighting

Ambient lighting is the main source of light in a room. This type of lighting is usually mounted to the ceiling, in the form of a fixture like a flush mount, chandelier, pendant light, or recessed lighting. In rooms that have a high degree of utility, such as laundry rooms and kitchens, strong ambient lighting is necessary, whereas you can get away with less of it in bedrooms and living rooms.

Task Lighting

Direct, or task lighting, is typically used to light a very specific area in a room for a very specific task. This might include a desktop lamp for reading, a pendant light over a kitchen island, or a vanity light in a bathroom.

Accent Lighting

In cases where you only want to soften the mood of a room or call out specific architectural features, such as a fireplace or a piece of art, accent lighting is used. The type of lighting can vary in wattage but is typically very focused on specific features within a home.

How Ceiling Height Can Affect Your Options

It’s tempting to put some stunning pendant lighting or a chandelier in virtually every available space, but there are of course, restrictions on where you can use lights that hang from the ceiling.

As a general rule of thumb, the end of a light figure should hang at least 7.5 feet above the floor, or approximately 3 feet over a table or countertop. 

If your home has standard ceilings, their height is probably 9 feet, which gives you a maximum fixture length of 18 inches, enough for a flush mount, ceiling fan, and shorter chandeliers and pendant lights.

With taller and vaulted ceilings, you’re able to extend that size considerably — just be sure to maintain at least 7.5 feet between the end of the chandelier and the ground at all times.

The Best Light Fixtures for Your Space

Flush Mount Light Fixtures

Ideal for: Ambient lighting

Ceiling height: Any

Shop Craftmade Flush Mount Lighting

Ceiling Fans

Ideal for: Ambient lighting

Ceiling height: Any

Shop Craftmade Ceiling Fans

Pendant Lighting

Ideal for: Ambient lighting, task lighting

Ceiling height: Over counter, or 10 ft+

Shop Craftmade Pendant Lighting

Chandeliers

Ideal for: Ambient lighting, accent lighting

Ceiling height: Over counter, or 10 ft+

Shop Craftmade Chandeliers

Wall Sconces

Everything old is new again! Discover the old world charm of authentic gas lanterns, hand crafted from copper and brass fittings to ensure long lasting quality. Enjoy years of elegant outdoor lighting that will withstand the harshest of conditions.

Just moved into a new home? Looking to refresh your decor? Convinced you need new lighting but are unsure where to start? We work with you from lighting inspiration to lighting installation. Whether your project is big or small, your house is new or old, your style is defined or developing, we can help you choose and customize the lights and home decor that are just right for your home. We’ll work with you on a lighting budget, lighting design and lighting selection. Simply fill out the form below and someone will get back with you within 72 hours to schedule the lighting consultation. Offer includes one 1-hour consultation in-store, limited to one per customer.

The sparkle and dazzle of a well-placed chandelier defines and enhances the mood of any room. A chandelier that is too large can easily overpower a room and its inhabitants; one that is too small becomes insignificant and decreases the perceived value of the entire space. By following a few interior design guidelines for choosing the correct size, you will maximize the impact of the fixture. Room size affects chandelier size, but the type of space also affects the size.     Follow our simple check list for the perfect fit. 1. Measure the width and length of the room. Add these two numbers together and consider the resulting figure as inches rather than feet. This is the diameter of the chandelier that will best suit the room. Allow 2 to 3 inches of chandelier length per foot of wall height. For example a dining room with 10-foot ceilings, 16 feet wide and 18 feet long, can accommodate a chandelier 34 inches in diameter and 20 to 30 inches in length. This calculation is particularly well-suited to a chandelier hanging in the center of the room and over the major piece of furniture or focal point, as in a dining room.

2. Define the area in a large room of several conversation areas or functions with a table or area rug. Use half the table width as the diameter guideline for the chandelier over a focal point table. Use the length and width of the area rug added together and called inches as the chandelier diameter over a conversation area rug.

3. Calculate the diameter of multiple chandeliers over a focal point by dividing the diameter of the table by the number of hanging chandeliers plus 1. For example, a table 54 inches wide would be best partnered with two chandeliers 18 inches in diameter, hung 18 inches apart over the center of the table.

4. Choose a rectangular chandelier for a rectangular table that is in keeping with the proportions of the table. For example, for a table that is 54 inches wide and 72 inches long, the diameter should be 27 inches. Subtract 27 inches from the length of the table for the result of a length of 45 inches. The rectangular chandelier best proportioned to this table would be 27 inches wide and 45 inches long.

5. Consider that a stairwell has a perceived wall height of two stories and calculate the length of the chandelier accordingly. Two-story entries should be treated similarly.

6. Hang the chandelier so the bottom is no less than 30 inches from the table surface in a dining room and no less than 7 feet from the floor in a hallway or stairwell. These guidelines will affect the length of the piece, so adjust accordingly.