How to Buy A Ceiling Light
Posted by Gene Haug on
Beautiful light shining down from a stained or fused glass ceiling light can put the right accent on any space. A ceiling light can give a room an entirely different ambiance.
There are many different decorating styles of ceiling lights: Contemporary, Rustic Lodge, Meyda Metro fused glass, wine bottle, and Mission; sizes; and types of ceiling lighting chandeliers, pendants, island/billiard lights, flushmounts, and semi- flushmounts. Your choice is almost limitless.
Guidelines to Choosing the Best Ceiling Fixture
When looking for a ceiling fixture, you should first consider the size of the room. The height, width and length will determine the type and size of your ceiling fixture.
First you have to look at the height of the ceiling. The bottom of the fixture should not be less than 7-feet from the floor. In the dining room, since chandeliers have multiple bulbs and throw a lot of heat, the height above the tabletop should be 30 to 34 inches.
Consider a flushmount or semi-flushmount fixture instead of a pendant or chandelier if you have low ceilings. That will keep heads from bumping into the light. On the other hand, if you have high ceilings, it is very inconvenient to change light bulbs on a flush mounted fixture so use pendants.
The next step is to figure the amount of wattage you will need to illuminate the room properly. The formula for this is length x width x 1.5. For example, if your room is 12 x 15, the 12 x 15 x 1.5=240. Your total room bulb wattage would be equal to 240 watts or four 60-watt bulbs.
You can add one or more wall mounted sconces, floor lamps or table lamps to make up the wattage. 
Next think about where you are going to place your fixture. In the dining room, your chandelier or pendant is centered over the middle of the dining table and the room. It is best to buy a chandelier that is about a foot smaller than the width of your table. The bottom of the chandelier should be 30-34 inches above the table.
In the living room, center your ceiling light over the main sitting area. If the living room is very large or if there are divisions in the room, place two ceiling fixtures.
To enhance the beauty of a chandelier or other ceiling light, it should be put on a dimmer. Make sure that the dimmer works with the type of bulbs you are using. Many incandescent, fluorescent, halogen bulbs, LED need a specifically designed dimmer.
If you have questions, please contact us support@smashingstainedglass.com or 763-350-0293