I finally found a dining room chandelier!

Believe it or not, I found a chandelier for my dining room when I was visiting my sister for Thanksgiving!  On a whim, I decided to stop by a shop that specializes in antique and vintage light fixtures; the shop was within walking distance of my sister’s house.  It was the day before Thanksgiving, and I was happily surprised that the store was open.  I was looking around the shop, and spied a beautiful French 19th century bronze and crystal chandelier in the back. I got a gut feeling that I had finally found my chandelier!  I took dozens of pictures, and even took a video; after getting approval from my designer, it is now en route to Atlanta and hopefully should be installed in time for Christmas.

I have written about chandeliers many times on the blog.  I wrote a post about my search here, and in particular here. I debated whether to get a temporary chandelier until I found ‘the one’, but ultimately decided to hold out and find the chandelier that was going to be the permanent fixture.  

Although I have an appreciation for all sorts of light fixtures, in my dining room there has never been any question that the chandelier would have lots of crystal and sparkle, and be the focus of the room.  My designer has insisted all along that we purchase an antique chandelier if at all possible, and this one fits the bill in every way – it’s the perfect size for the room, it has lots of crystal (ropes, pendants, stars), it has unique character and style.  Although it is hard to see in the picture, it has a lot of detail in the design of the bronze arms , and there are quite a few lights.  I think it’s going to be beautiful in my dining room.    

I snapped some pictures of the chandelier in the antique store (the store was small and very full, so it was a challenge), which gives a sense for the style – it’s a French 19th century bronze and crystal chandelier that has been fully restored and electrified. 

I asked the owner of the store about how high to hang a chandelier in a dining room.  My dining room is 14’x18’, my ceilings are 11’6”, and my table is 50” wide (not a typo – it’s a Baker conference room table that is 120” with no leaves).  He said that typically he likes chandeliers to be 5’ above the floor – and given that most tables are 30” high, that would mean 30” above the table. However, when the ceilings are as tall as mine, and the chandelier is large, then he says the chandelier typically goes higher – about 36” above the table. He said that ultimately you have to eyeball it when it is being installed to see how it looks.

Since chandeliers have been on my mind lately, I have been paying attention to chandeliers in blog posts and pinterest pins.   One of my favorite posts that I have read recently was by Architect Design, an architect out of D.C. who writes a wonderful blog.  He recently went on a private tour of the Belgian ambassador's residence , and the pictures of the rooms are really beautiful.

Given my love for big crystal chandeliers, I was transfixed by this picture. The chandelier, an antique Louis XV cage style, is simply stunning.  In the post, Stefan noted that “crystal chandeliers were all imported from France by the interior designers, Alavoine et Cie, to evoke the style of the French Regence (1715-1723)”. 

The other thing I noted was how high the chandelier is hung.  The ceilings are quite high in this room, but the chandelier is hung higher than what is typically done. Stefan speculated that the chandelier is hung higher than normal as the room is often converted into reception space, and the table is moved out. A higher chandelier means that people won’t bump their heads on the light fixture.

Another chandelier that struck me as being hung higher than usual was from this beautiful French style house that was featured in Veranda in 2006.  I wrote a blog post on it in 2009, seen here.  I think this chandelier is exquisite, but perhaps a bit too small for such a grandly scaled room.

When the house was put in the market, a new chandelier was in place (I believe there were new owners), and the size and height off the table seemed more in proportion to the room.

This dining room, with architecture by Steve Giannetti and design by Brooke Giannetti (authors of Patina Style, and Velvet & Linen) came to mind when thinking about chandelier heights. The height of the ceiling in this room is probably similar to that of my dining room.  I think it looks perfectly placed (I love how it is also reflected in the mirror).  Brooke told me that she also typically starts with a chandelier 5’ above the floor when it is hanging over a table, but she checks the visual balance and adjusts based on the size of the chandelier and the height of the ceiling.

This is one of my favorite images of a big, crystally chandelier, full of sparkle and light (how many lights are on this? It must be at least 40!).  The ceilings are not high in this space, so the chandelier really fills the space between the table and the ceiling.

Another favorite dining room image that I referenced when looking at chandelier heights. Design by Betsy Elsey, via Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles.

I love this picture. I found it on Pinterest, and don’t know the designer, but this has got to be in Paris based on the architecture and the scale of the room. I wonder if this was a salon that has been converted into a dining room?

A model residence decorated by Suzanne Kasler in an Atlanta high-rise. This chandelier appears to be hung a bit higher off the table.

A David Iatesta chandelier that has always been a favorite. It has a spare style, and I am getting a feeling that the visual weight of the chandelier is also a factor in the height and placement of a chandelier. Interior design by James Howard.

A charming antique chandelier in a beautiful dining room, this looks to be hung a bit higher off the table than 30”.

A favorite Suzanne Kasler dining room in a house featured in Veranda. This house has high ceilings, and the chandelier height reflects that.

The real estate picture from this same room shows a different chandelier and chairs, so this might be a different owner – the house has been sold a time or two, and was a showhouse at one point.

Another Suzanne Kasler project, this one featured in Architectural Digest.  Hanging the chandelier a bit higher allows for a large scale centerpiece on the table.

This was my favorite picture from a recent Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, featuring a party at Suzanne Kasler’s home.  The table centerpiece, designed by designer Keith Arnold of Suzanne Kasler Interiors, is simply beautiful – and works well with the height of the antique Jansen chandelier. 

I have always liked this picture of the vice president’s residence in Washington, D.C., with interiors by Frank Babb Randolph.   It has probably been redecorated since this picture was taken, as Randolph was hired when Dick Cheney was VP.  This chandelier is hung quite high, but it might be for the same reason as the Belgium ambassador’s residence – so the room can be used for receptions too.

Tina, author of the Enchanted Home, has a beautiful dining room. I have admired her chandelier many times! Maybe she will comment and let us know the measurement from the table to the bottom of the chandelier, and the height of her ceiling.

Another all time favorite dining room, I am now studying the for the way the chandelier is hung.

A favorite Jackye Lanham dining room with a wonderful crystal chandelier. I wish I could see a wider view of the room.

Another image found on pinterest– what a beautiful room, both from an architectural and design perspective. The ethereal Russian chandelier is by Niermann Weeks, is perfect for the space. Interior design by Marshall Watson, via Traditional Home.   

I think this chandelier is hung perfectly, but the room height appears to be lower than that of my dining room. There is something about this dining room that speaks to me– I found it on Pinterest, so don’t know the designer, but the styling of the vignette above the sideboard, the lines of the chairs, the style of the rug and the chandelier – it’s a beautiful room.

I could go on and on, I have so many beautiful images of dining rooms saved to my files, but I will leave you with this festive image of Mary McDonald’s dining room all decked out for the holidays. McDonald’s house is filled with beautiful antique crystal chandeliers, and this is one of my favorites.  Look at the number of lights! This is a large chandelier, and I love how it is hung. Image via Veranda, image source.

If anyone has words of wisdom or lessons learned about hanging a chandelier in a dining room, I would love to hear them!  Ultimately, I don't think I can go too wrong if I hang the chandelier 30"-36" above the table, as the images above show all sorts of different hanging heights.  For designers this is a regular occurrence, but to a homeowner it only happens every once in a while.  Click here to comment on this post.

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An addendum – I forgot to put this in my last post, but would love any opinions you might have! Do any of you own a Vitamix?  I am thinking about getting one after using the one at my sister’s house. She has this model, which is one of the top of the line models.  I have seen them demonstrated at Whole Foods and I believe they had the 5200 model, which is less expensive but does not have as many features. Any opinions would be welcome!  Click here to comment. 

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Favorite art and design books of 2013: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2013/12/books-from-2013.html
2013 books on my Christmas list: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2013/11/books-for-my-christmas-list-2013.html
2012 books on my Christmas list: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2012/11/books-for-my-christmas-list.html
2011 books on my Christmas list: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2011/12/my-book-list-christmas-2011.html

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Thank you…and some other lighting in my house

Thank you for the wonderful comments on my post about my dining room chandelier decision. If you have not read the comments, they are quite interesting and entertaining to read – click here to see them. I would also like to thank the many readers who sent me great “off the beaten track” antique chandeliers sources.

As always, I read each and every comment, and I also received dozens of emails from readers with more lengthy thoughts.

I have decided to go ahead and put ‘dining room chandelier’ high on the list of items that I will work on with my designer in early 2013, when we do phase II of the design work.   Ultimately, knowing both myself and my husband, I am aware that whatever goes in my dining room will be there for a long time, so I have to select a fixture that I really love.  And, as many of you suggested, such a key design element really needs to be found with my designer’s guidance, especially since she selected all of the other lighting fixtures in the house.   We will get something that works with the style of the house, the room, and the budget.  If that’s an antique, great.  If that’s an amazing new lighting fixture, that would be great too.  But I do think it is time to find a beautiful fixture to put in the dining room.

Many of my readers were shocked that I have a naked bulb in my dining room, after spending so much time and effort working on the design and build of the house.   If you have ever built a house, or gone through a major renovation, you can understand the mental and financial fatigue that sets in at the end of a project. That’s why I still have my old beat up reproduction French country kitchen table and 1980s style barstools in my kitchen – which are definitely at odds with the architecture and style of the kitchen -  and will be replaced next year.

But – rest assured – I do have some beautiful lighting in other areas of the house, and here are a few glimpses (taken with an iphone camera this weekend).

A simple bell jar lantern graces the front hall.

I love our kitchen light fixture – it is grand in scale, which works perfectly in my kitchen. The iron of the fixture works beautifully with the steel windows in the kitchen.

The library light fixture is alabaster and has a subtle Greek key pattern etched into the side.  It has a lovely glow at night, and truly ‘makes’ the space.  I never would have selected this fixture on my own, but my designer thought it was the perfect touch for the room – and that has proven to be the case.

The lantern in my stairs is also large in scale, and looks great from all angles, particularly important as it is often seen from below.

My favorite lantern – the Mizner by Niermann Weeks – I had my eye on this lantern for years (I would often go into the Atlanta showroom and visit it), and I love seeing it every day.

I do have one other bare bulb to show you – in my groin vault hall.  My designer wanted something very special for this place, and she has never found just the right thing.  We will find something when we do phase II.

And finally, my master bedroom.  We put a cap on this one!  We looked at a few options, but again didn’t find just the right thing.  Maybe because it is capped, or maybe because I had a ceiling fan in my old master bedroom, but I don’t miss having a chandelier in my master bedroom.  Right now the room is lit by lamps and a few small targeted recessed lights, and it works just fine – although it would be nice to find a pretty chandelier to finish off the room.

It’s interesting to see these fixtures in isolation, because I was not aware that we had so many iron fixtures in the house!  They work well with the architecture and style of the house, and are spread throughout the house, so they are not seen at the same time. There are some key rooms that do not have fixtures at all because of the design of the space– like the living room, because centering a light fixture would not make sense for the furniture arrangement given the architecture of the space (and two chandeliers would not have worked either).

Writing this post brings back memories of all the time and effort that went into selecting light fixtures – not an easy task when building a house from scratch!

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The chandelier dilemma–would love your thoughts!

In my old house, I had a dining room that was not used very often, but was central to the house so it was very visible.

I don’t think I have ever shown this picture on the blog (understandably) – I looked!  But this was my dining room (in the old house) circa 2004.  Red dining rooms were quite common back then, but I despise red, so I did a warm orange tone with a bit of glazing based on Martha Stewart paint in ‘flower pot’ color.  The curtains are a similar tone to the walls – a very pretty orange, although they seem a bit lost given the wall color.

When this picture was taken, my mother-in-law had just downsized, and gave me her early 1980s Baker dining room table (it is actually a conference room table, and measures 50” wide and 120” long without leaves!) , 16 Baker chairs, and sideboard.  The table was big for the room, and too big for the rug that I had in there, so I ended up putting the end chairs in my attic.  The piece of furniture that I used to have under the plates on the wall was an antique French enfilade (which was moved to the kitchen), and was taller than the buffet, so the plates are a bit high in relation to the sideboard. They soon came down, and a mirror took their place. 

The main reason I dug up this picture, though, is not to ridicule myself for décor transgressions of the past, but rather to point out the chandelier.  This is the builder grade brass and black chandelier that came with the house.  I lived with it for many years – probably 10 years or more, and I always thought it looked like an insect.

Here is a photo from our real estate listing, when we had our old house on the market last year. I had the walls painted in about 2008 – Joni from Cote de Texas was one of my first blog readers, and when I asked her whether I should paint my dining room, she asked me why in the world I had deep orange walls when all of the pictures on my blog showed neutral or serene spaces.  I had the walls painted (in Farrow & Ball clunch, a great neutral), and it was like a breath of fresh air.  I still love those curtains that I had installed in the late 90s (although with time they shrank up a bit) – I have always been a fan of orange, and I particularly like how orange looks paired with light neutrals.

But – back to the point of this post – note how I finally changed the chandelier. I ordered a chandelier from the back of a shelter magazine – from one of those little tiny ads.  I wish I had taken pictures of the chandelier when it arrived.  It was in about 15 different pieces, and the instructions were in Chinese!  The company had sent me the crystals for the wrong size chandelier, so I had to pretty much rework all of the strands to work with my size chandelier.  I smile at the memory now, but it was not fun at the time!  However, the chandelier really brought the room more up to date, and it was less than $300.  It was such a simple fix, I wish I had changed out the chandelier years ago.

Now flash forward to my current house. I love all of the lighting we selected, and we ended up purchasing most of the fixed lighting (sconces and chandeliers) for the house. 

However, we never found just the right fixture for the dining room.  The original intention was a fabulous antique crystal chandelier, but the right one never presented itself, and then my husband hit his financial and psychological limit on the lighting budget.  So this is how my dining room looks right now:

I was hoping that the naked bulb would be a constant reminder to my husband that we still need a great chandelier in this spot, but truthfully it does not phase him at all.  We tend to only use the dining room for special occasions (similar to how we used it in the old house – Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, and dinner parties), so he really doesn’t think about the dining room that much.  It is very central and visible in the house, though, so I look at this naked bulb every day. 

If I were to take the approach that I took in the old house, I would definitely get this chandelier that I found on the Shades of Light website.  It would look great in the room, and I love the curvy yet spare style, with the mixture of small ropes of crystal, and the crystal drops. The 12 light fixture measures 46” high by 36.5” wide, which would also work well in room (I think - what is the rule of thumb for chandelier sizing? The ceilings are 11’6”, the room is 14'x18'). And, the price is quite good.  I wonder whether it would take hours to assemble?  I would replace all of the plastic candle sleeves with wax sleeves, use silk wrapped bulbs, and replace the ball at the bottom with something a bit larger and not faceted.

When looking through the real estate listings last year (I still like to do that), I came across a picture of a spec house that had been decorated at a minimal level, and had this light fixture in the dining room.  Ignore the table and chairs (which are too small and the wrong style for the space),  and focus on the chandelier.

So what are your thoughts?  Should I get the Shades of Light chandelier as a placeholder until I get the permanent chandelier (which could be years in the future)? Or should I hold out and be patient, and wait to find just the right fixture for this place?  I am not the type of person who does ‘disposable decorating’, so this is a dilemma for me!  If I get this chandelier, there is a chance that my husband will never let me replace it with an antique.  I don’t really have another space where I could use it in the house. But, there is also a chance that I might really like it!

We are going to work on the décor of the house in phases, and do another big round in both 2013 and 2014, but based on everything else that what we need, I don’t think that an antique chandelier will be high priority (given the price point of the antiques that qualify as ‘fabulous’ in my eye). If I don’t do anything, my dining room will more than likely be chandelier-less for many years.

Would love to read your thoughts!  (Email subscribers, click here to comment)

- Holly

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In search of the perfect chandelier

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Found on pinterest

The decor of our new house will be a work in process for several years; we focused on the architecture during the build, and although we furnished most of the rooms to a certain level, for the most part we are taking a phased approach to decor and finishing off one room at a time.  I prefer to have fewer furnishings and fabrics that I love and are just the right thing, and add to the decor over time.  

However, we did purchase most of the fixed lighting as I consider it to be one of the 'architectural' aspects of a house.  Each light fixture was carefully considered for style, scale and proportion, and I love each and every light fixture that my designer selected.  The only major light fixture that we did not find was the chandelier for the dining room.  My designer felt that an antique would be best in the space, and we never really came across 'the one'.

So, until that happens, I will happily collect images and continue to dream about the perfect fixture for the space.  My ideal is to have a crystal chandelier in the dining room - the more crystal, the better. We don't have any other crystal fixtures in the house, and the tall ceilings (11'6") and architectural features of the dining room would make a nice large 'crystally' chandelier right at home. Image via Cote de Texas.

Interestingly, many of my favorite chandelier pictures come from Belgian homes, where the juxtaposition between the simple and the ornate seems to be a style of choice. The contrast of the farmhouse table and the crystal chandelier is just as appealing as the chandelier itself.  Image via Cococozy (see the full post here).

A massive crystal chandelier in a somewhat spare dining room in Belgium.  This is the crystally, somewhat over the top look that I love in a dining room chandelier.  Via Cote de Texas.

An antique chandelier seen out and about in Atlanta.

Maurice Chandelier in Atlanta is a wonderful source for antique lighting.  They have several French antique crystal chandeliers, such as the one seen in this picture.  This picture hardly does the chandelier justice, but it is lovely in real life.

If we go the new chandelier route, I have long admired the Daphne chandelier by Paul Ferrante (I wrote a post devoted to this chandelier in 2008).  The Ainsworth-Noah showroom in Atlanta had this chandelier on display, but it sold; I used to go visit it every so often, and actually miss seeing it.

The Dennis & Leen chandelier that was showcased on the cover of Veranda in September of 2010 makes my heart skip a beat.  The Jerry Pair showroom in Atlanta has one on display, and I often swing through just to gaze upon this pretty fixture. Image: Interior design by Melanie Turner.

After examining the pictures in this post, I realize that I like a combination of small strings of crystals combined with larger pieces (which is probably why the Dennis & Leen and the Paul Ferrante chandeliers are so appealing to me).  Blog posts are often the best way for me to crystallize (pun intended!) what I really like about something.

Although it would be nice to have a chandelier in time for Thanksgiving, when we plan on hosting friends and family for the inaugural use of the formal dining room, time and budget will prevent this from happening.  I must admit, however, that I often have just as much satisfaction in the search as the acquisition!

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A tale of two styles

I have decided that my taste in chandeliers is an accurate reflection of the dual nature of my taste in interior design. On the one hand, I am absolutely besotted by the Cascade Lumiere chandelier, part of the Kentfield Collection for Boyd Lighting, designed by Todd Rugee. This is a beautifully designed, soft modern chandlier that is truly like a work of art. It is a great modern interpretation of a chandelier....and this is something I love in design, a fresh interpretation of classic design.

Interior design by Shane Reilly. This is one of the most beautiful dining rooms in my inspiration file. The chandelier is, of course, a favorite, but I love the how the whole room is put together, with the soft colors, the console and contemporary art in the back of the room, the wonderful lamps on the console that repeat the shapes of the chandelier.

Traditional Home, May 2007. Design by Garry Mertins.

Interior design by Jamie Drake. It is interesting to see this chandelier in a living room setting. If you look closely, you can see the matching sconces by the fireplace.

On the other hand, I have a love for French and Swedish, with light woods, neutral window treatments and upholstery, often in linen and other natural materials. A clean, fresh, crisp take on French and Swedish. Take a look at Cote de Texas' blog (I must mention her blog several times a week!), and you will see some great examples of this French/Swedish style. Joni likes almost exclusively antiques, but I am not a stickler on this point. Give me a finely crafted reproduction and I will be happy (I had a bad experience with wood worm on one of my French antiques).

Although there are hundreds of chandeliers that would fit into this style of design, there is one in particular that catches my eye: the Niermann Weeks Swedish Chandelier. There is something so beautiful about the delicate and airy design of this chandelier. I have seen it in person, and it is breathtaking.

Niermann Weeks Swedish Chandelier.

This is an antique chandelier, but it has the look and feel of the one I love. (I do not have information on where this image is from).

Fortunately, I have a few years before I have to pick out a new dining room chandelier. Perhaps my taste will evolve by then, and it will be more clear which design fits best within the grand scheme of my home design. Perhaps I will find something else that captures my eye. Most of the fun for me is in the journey and the discovery of new things along the way.