Living Room Dining Room Decorating With Chandeliers

Mindy Gayer

When decorating our dining rooms, many of us focus on the big-ticket items like tables and chairs. But, these aren't the only must-haves worth considering. Dining room light fixtures are just as necessary and can make a significant difference in your space—adding contrast, cohesion, or even a pop of show-stopping drama.

So, don't just stick with the dining room light fixtures you've inherited. Instead, spend some time thinking about what your space needs, and snag a fixture or a combination of fixtures that delivers it. To help you get started, we've rounded up 26 stunning dining rooms and light fixture ideas worth stealing from each of them.

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Color-Coordinate Your Space

Blue Copper Design

If you're not sure which dining room light fixture to choose, start by taking a look at what you already have. Is the room filled with color-coordinated accent pieces? If so, consider picking a matching fixture. Echoing that accent color along your ceiling can be a quick and easy way to bring your space together.

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Play With Scale

Bespoke Only

Whenever you're shopping for light fixtures, size is always a consideration. But remember that there's no perfect ratio to shoot for. In fact, playing with scale—pairing an enormous fixture with a sleek dining room table—can be a fun way to add drama to your space.

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Double Up

Rikki Snyder

No one said you had to stick to just one chandelier. So, if you want to bring more light into your space, consider hanging two chandeliers, instead. You can mount the fixtures symmetrically over your table so that each illuminates one pair of chairs. This should make sure you have plenty of well-balanced light, and it should keep your space feeling cleanly designed, too.

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Pair New With Old

Sarah Fultz Interiors

Add contrast to your dining room by pairing a sleek fixture with older furniture. You can exaggerate this contrast by pairing an obviously contemporary fixture with very ornate antique furniture. And you can use modern-yet-sophisticated accents—like sprawling abstract paintings—to add harmony to the striking combination.

A contemporary black wire chandelier, currently for sale at Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel Cosmo Bronze Pendant Light $349

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05 of 26

Mount Lights Along Your Wall

Bespoke Only

Ceiling-mounted lighting is a popular choice. But, if your dining room table is tucked away in a corner, you may be able to use wall-mounted lighting, instead. Mount a row of sconces that span the length of your dining room table. Just make sure they jut out enough to offer you the light that you need.

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Consider Color and Texture

Ashley Montgomery Design

The shape of your light fixture isn't the only thing worth considering. Its color and texture can have a big impact too, especially if they complement other pieces in your space. Take a look at the colors and textures you're already working with, and consider choosing a light fixture that echoes them. An off-white woven chandelier may be the perfect pick for a dining room filled with off-white throws and a woven rug.

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Mix and Match Your Pendants

Becca Interiors

If you want to play with multiple light fixtures, layering pendant lights can be a great option. And remember, those pendant lights don't have to match. By combining three pendant lights that look similar but just a little different, you can craft a space that feels dynamic but harmonious.

A series of similar-looking pendant lights, currently for sale at Design Within Reach

Design Within Reach Neverending Glory Pendant $1,950

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08 of 26

Drape Your Longest Lights

Proem Studio

One easy way to DIY your own light fixture? Stock up on a few extra-long industrial lights, and drape them over hooks. This is a popular choice in industrial design, but you can make it work in just about any décor scheme. The hooks will allow you to customize the size and shape of your fixture, giving you a chandelier that's unique to your space.

An extra-long industrial pendant light, currently for sale at Schoolhouse

Schoolhouse Utility Plug-In Pendant $129

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09 of 26

Add Contrast With a Chandelier

Becca Interiors

A glam chandelier may seem out of place in a rustic dining room, but it may be just the thing you need to bring your space together. Remember that lighting can add either contrast or cohesion, so consider which one your space needs, and snag an option that delivers it.

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Warm Up Your Space With Off-White Lights

Calimia Home

White is a pretty rare choice for a pendant lampshade, and off-white is an even rarer one. But, the warm neutral can make a surprisingly striking addition to your space. Off-white is a decidedly subtle color, but it's still bold enough to make an impact.

It's a great choice when black seems too harsh, white seems too light, and metallic options seem too shiny.

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Invest in a Small but Mighty Fixture

Calimia Home

If your dining room is filled with natural light, you may not need a massive fixture. Instead, you might be best served by a small, targeted spotlight that adds a touch of visual interest to your space. An arc lamp could do the trick, or you could spring for a long-arm sconce that extends off the wall to hover over your table.

A black sconce with an extra-long arm, currently for sale at Wayfair

Wayfair Brayden Studio Kilmer Swing-Arm Lamp $370

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12 of 26

Add Texture With a Beaded Shade

Becca Interiors

Beaded lampshades aren't the kind of thing you see every day. But, they can make a playful addition to your dining room, bringing texture, surprise, and fun in equal measure.

A large pendant light with a beaded lampshade, currently for sale at Stephanie Cohen Home

Stephanie Cohen Home Made Goods Elaine Wood Bead Chandelier $1100

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13 of 26

DIY Your Own Statement-Maker

Tyler Karu

If you want a chandelier that no one else has, consider crafting your own. Stock up on a few classic globe lights, then, cluster them together using a heat-safe rope.

You can hang hooks from the ceiling to get your positioning just right, and if you stock up on striking options, you can even make these hooks part of your fixture, too.

14 of 26

Match Your Chandelier to Your Chairs

Sarah Fultz Interiors

Matching your chandelier to your chairs may seem like a strange choice. But, it's one of the most effective ways to bring your dining room together. After all, the room boasts three focal points: the table, the chairs, and the lighting fixture. And since the chairs and the lighting fixture are the farthest apart, they'll offer the most cohesion when color- or texture-coordinated.

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Pair Sleek Lights With Rustic Furniture

Studio Peake

So you've snagged a rustic dining room table—what now? If the rest of your space is rustic, you can pair it with a matching light fixture. But, if the room is in need of a little contrast, go all-in on sleek lighting, instead. A pair of crisp white pendant lights should offer the counterpoint you need, and you can always use art to bring the space together.

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Spring for Something Structural

Mary Patton Design

Remember that classic chandeliers aren't the only options on offer. Bold contemporary fixtures abound—and they can make a statement in any space. So, if you fall in love with a sculptural option, snag it. Then, balance out its impact by pairing it with pieces that echo its color, shape, and texture.

A sculptural woven chandelier, currently for sale at Williams Sonoma

Williams Sonoma Antibes Chandelier $2410

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17 of 26

Cluster Several Globe Lights

Cathie Hong Interiors

You're not limited to just one light fixture. By hanging several globe lights in a cluster, you can mimic the look of a chandelier without splurging on one massive showstopper.

This approach comes with one added benefit: when you move, you can bring the globe lights with you, and adjust how many you hang based on the size and shape of your new space.

A series of globe pendant lights, currently for sale at West Elm

West Elm Build Your Own Sculptural Glass Chandelier $19–266

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18 of 26

Hang a Lamp as Big as Your Table

Design: Mindy Gayer, Photo: Lane Dittoe

Large chandeliers may only seem at home in massive spaces. But in smaller ones, they can make a huge statement—pun very much intended. Consider hanging a lamp that's as big as your dining room table, or at least as wide as your dining room table. You'll end up with plenty of light and an obvious statement-maker.

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Add Light With a Few Matching Pendants

Proem Studio

Hanging more than one light can feel like a maximalist approach. But, you can keep your space feeling clean and orderly by hanging a few matching pendant lights in a single row. Combined, these lamps will maximize the light in your space without creating visual clutter.

20 of 26

Keep Your Lines Consistent

Reena Sotropa

Consider choosing a light fixture that echoes the shapes in your space. If your dining room table is round and your chairs are lined with straight rods, pick a light fixture that bridges the gap between them. A chandelier adorned with metal rods and round bulbs may be exactly what you need to bring your space together.

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Find a Fixture That Doubles as a Work of Art

Katie Martinez Design

Some light fixtures are so sculptural that they look like works of art. These pieces may be tough to decorate with, especially compared to some of the classic options out there. But, if you focus on finding one that adds much-needed contrast or cohesion to your space, you shouldn't have much trouble pulling it off.

A large chandelier made up of tons of smaller pendants, currently for sale at Pottery Barn

Pottery Barn Menton Glass Linear Chandelier $899

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22 of 26

Draw the Eye Upward

Tyler Karu

If you've been blessed with high ceilings, consider drawing attention to that strength by hanging a surprisingly small chandelier. This should draw the eye upward, leaving the room feeling even more spacious than it already does.

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Build an Entire Row of Chandeliers

Mindy Gayer

Who said you had to stop at one chandelier? If you've found a bunch of chandeliers you love, consider hanging them all and organizing them in a cluster or a row. To keep things feeling tidy, you can choose chandeliers that look similar, and you can even match them to the color of your ceiling.

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Take a Risk on a Showstopping Fixture

Ashley Montgomery Design

A statement-making chandelier can be a daunting thing to decorate with, but push yourself to take the risk. If you've fallen in love with a beautiful fixture, consider giving it a try in your space. An ornate antique may add the touch of contrast you didn't realize your space needed.

And even if things go totally awry, you can always resell the fixture and replace it with something else.

25 of 26

Keep Your Entire Space in Mind

Julian Porcino

Open-concept spaces are all the rage these days, and if you're navigating one, be sure to zoom out during your design process. Don't just look at your dining room—look at your dining room and everything around it. By choosing a chandelier that mimics the fixtures in your kitchen, you can keep your home feeling cohesive while creating a visual designation between the two rooms.

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Finish Things Off With a Ceiling Medallion

Ashley Montgomery Design

Many of us finish off a room with crown molding or some other kind of trim. But, we tend to skip out on ceiling medallions, which are basically crown molding for our light fixtures. Show your lights the love you show the rest of your home and adorn them with a little ornate trim. Ceiling medallions make particularly great additions to contemporary fixtures, where they can add some welcome contrast.