Hi all! I’ve put together another handy guide in my decorating tips series for you – this one’s all about lighting. So if you’re wondering how high to hang a chandelier over your dining room table, what size lampshade will best fit your lamp, or how high to hang sconces and kitchen pendants, this post should help you out!
What Is the Best Nightstand Lamp Height?
When choosing a table lamp for a nightstand, the middle of the lamp shade should be roughly eye level when sitting next to it on the bed. You never want to be looking at the bare bulb from either above or below the shade. In most bedrooms, a table lamp that measures between 24-28″ works well.
Sources: Queen beadboard bed (weathered white) | 12″ Memory foam queen mattress (no boxspring needed) | Quilted shams (similar) | Navy embroidered lumbar pillow cover ( with {this} pillow insert) | Navy border duvet cover | White quilt | Nightstand | Lamp (similar) | Blue & white planter | Mirror (white – small)
You don’t need to choose matching lamps on both sides of a bed but you should match their height. Check out my post on bedroom light fixtures for links to my favorite lamps that would work beautifully as bedside lamps.
Be sure to choose a nightstand that’s the right height too! The height of your nightstand should ideally be within 1-2″ of the top of your mattress. As far as the width of a nightstand, one that’s at least ⅓ the width of the bed is a great choice. Of course sometimes that’s not possible due to limited space, necessitating a more narrow nightstand – if that’s the case, check out my favorite narrow nightstands.
What Size Lampshade Do I Need?
As a general rule, a lampshade that’s about ⅔ the height of your lamp base is a good, proportional fit. Taking my nightstand lamp as an example, the base of the lamp is about 15″. That means that a good size lampshade is one that’s about 10″ high (the shade that comes with it is 9.5″ high so it’s right on target!).
As far as the width of the lampshade, one that’s about twice the diameter (width) of your lamp base at its widest point is generally a good fit. Another guideline to consider is that the diameter of the bottom of your lampshade should be within 2″ of the height of your lamp base. All of these rules can be used to help you pick a shade that’s a good, proportionate size for your lamp but don’t let them limit you – sometimes a table lamp with an oversized shade can look fabulous!
Another thing to consider about lamps and lampshades is the harp size. What’s the harp? It’s the metal, U-shaped piece that supports the lamp shade and it’s not a one-size-fits-all thing – it comes in different sizes. This is how you measure the harp size:
If you’re buying a lamp that comes with a shade, you shouldn’t have to worry about harp size since it should come with one that’s the correct size. But if you’re buying a lamp and shade separately, you might need a smaller or larger harp than the one the lamp came with. This is how the same lamp looks with three different harp sizes:
You want a harp that’s not so small that the lamp shade overlaps the lamp base but not so big that the lamp’s bulb socket and harp are visible. In the above example, a 10″ harp is too big – either the 8″ or 9″ harp works depending upon how much of the lamp’s neck you want to see.
How High Should a Chandelier Be Hung Above a Table?
As a general guide, the bottom of your chandelier should hang between 30″ – 36″ above the surface of your table when you have standard 8′ ceilings. If your ceilings are 9′ or higher, you can hang your chandelier up to 3-4″ higher for each additional foot of ceiling.
What Size Chandelier Should I Put In My Dining Room?
When choosing a chandelier, there are two good guidelines to use. One is that the width of your chandelier should be about ½ to ⅔ the width of the table it will be hanging over. A second guidelines is that it should also be at least 10-12″ less than than the width of your table (so that you don’t bump it with your head when getting in or out of your seat). If you have a chandelier or pendant that is tallest in the center and curves up around the edges such as this large beaded chandelier in our dining room,
you can get away with your light fixture being wider than these guidelines, especially if you have tall ceilings. (The price on this chandelier has gone up a ton – {this pendant} has a similar look and is more reasonably priced)
If you’re on the hunt for a new dining room chandelier, check out some of my favorite dining room chandeliers in {this post} and some beautiful wood bead chandelier options {here}.
What’s The Best Vanity Light Height?
Vanity lights above a mirror should be hung about 75-80″ from the floor to the center of the light fixture. If you have a taller than average vanity (standard vanity height is about 32″), ceilings that are 9+ feet, or a large mirror, hang your fixture at the higher end of that range. In our powder room, the vanity is 34″ tall and we have 10′ ceilings so I hung it right at 80″:
Sources: Wallpaper | Shiplap | 2-Light sconce | Round rattan mirror | Vanity | Faucet (brushed nickel) | Striped planter | Woven soap pump | Towel ring (stainless) | Towel | Vanity baskets (large) | Toilet | Toilet paper holder (brushed brass) | Woven toilet tray (small) | Woven canister | Bird art print (18 x 24) with White wood frame (similar) | Waste basket covered with grasscloth wallpaper remnant
It’s also smart to pay attention to the distance between your vanity light and mirror because you don’t want them to be too far apart. A measurement of between 1-5″ from the bottom of your vanity light to the top of your mirror typically works well. While they’re close to 4″ apart in our powder room, in the primary bathroom in our prior home I hung them only 1 ½″ apart because the clear glass shades allowed me to do that without it feeling crowded:
Vanity Area Sources: Wood & rattan double vanity | Vanity knobs | Bathroom faucets – brushed nickel | Vanity lights | Vanity mirrors – gold | Woven seagrass tray on vanity | Cross base planter | Marble stacking dishes | Soap & lotion sink set with tray | Toothbrush holder
These are some favorite bathroom vanity lights (most of them come in multiple finish options and options for a different number of shades):
Vanity Light Sources: 1. Matte black globe light (4 finish options) | 2. Brass light with milk glass shades | 3. Mixed metal vanity light (tons of finish options) | 4. Brass & white enamel light | 5. Curved chrome light (also in black) | 6. Modern matte black light (4 finish options) | 7. Classic brass vanity light (3 finish options) | 8. Brass & white industrial light (5 finish options) | 9. Brass globe light (also in polished nickel) | 10. Brushed nickel vanity light (6 finish options)
What’s The Best Bathroom Side Sconce Height?
When you’re hanging sconces on either side of a mirror in a bathroom, mount the bulb of the sconces at eye level to best illuminate your face. Of course eye level is different for everyone but 60-65″ is a good ballpark figure. If you have sconces flanking the mirrors of a double vanity that you and your partner share, determine eye level for each of you and split the difference. Just make sure that the bulb itself isn’t visible to the shortie of the duo because you don’t want direct light blaring in your face.
In the powder room of our prior home, I hung the sconces about 62″ high:
The standard recommendation for how far apart to mount sconces flanking a bathroom mirror is 36″ – 40″ apart. However, the best distance also needs to be based on the width of your mirror (the position of your wall studs might also play a role too). Our bathroom mirror was fairly narrow so we hung our sconces 33″ apart in our powder room. Trust your eye on this one!
What About Kitchen Pendants?
When hanging pendants over a kitchen island, the distance between the bottom of your pendant lights and your countertop should generally be between 30″-36″. You can increase that distance a bit if your ceilings are 9′ tall or higher or decrease it a bit of your ceilings are under 8′ like mine were in our previous home:
Want help figuring out the spacing of your pendants over a kitchen island? Check out my post with detailed recommendations & tips for the pendant light height over an island.
I’ve got just one last rule to share – don’t feel constrained by these guidelines! Use them if you’re having a tough time deciding what light fixtures to buy and how high to hang them but don’t let them keep you from trying something different if it feels right. Sometimes breaking the rules results in something fabulous! Your eye is always the best guide.
Did you miss my other recent must-have tips posts? Check them out here:
Must-Have Bathroom Measurements
XO,