A chandelier can be an ideal option for lighting in your home. Not just for foyers and formal dining areas, but chandeliers can also be used to provide lighting in kitchens, bedrooms, as well as the children's room. But before you go out and look for that perfect chandelier, here are some things that you need to consider.

Criteria For Buying Chandeliers

1) Size of the chandelier: The most important element to consider is the size. If not sized correctly, a chandelier will not be able to provide lighting as desired and may well not fit into its designated spot. So here's what you need to know about sizing a chandelier.

? When choosing a chandelier for a particular room, you need to first measure the width and length of the room. Add these two measurements and the resultant sum (in inches) is how wide your chandelier should be. For instance, if your room is 14 feet wide by 16 feet long, you need to add these two numbers which gives you 30. Thus, the ideal width for a chandelier for this room will be 30 inches. However, you also need to consider the height at which the chandelier will hang. If you have low ceilings and the chandelier will hang quite low, you should buy a slightly smaller one (26-28 inches). But, if you have really high ceilings, then you should go in for a bigger one (34-36 inches). This is because the higher the chandelier, the smaller it is going to appear.

? Another important size consideration is the length. A chandelier should be at least 30 inches above the table that it will hang over. This is the optimum height as it is high enough to leave adequate room to place things under the chandelier and is low enough to provide the desired lighting. Thus, after subtracting 30 inches from the top of the table to the ceiling, and 3-4 inches for the chandelier hook, the space left can be used to decide the length of the chandelier. Once again, you can be a little flexible here. If you usually use very tall centerpieces on your table, you should choose a chandelier that is a little shorter.

2) Type of lighting required: The kind of lighting that you need is also an important criterion to consider. Here are the various types of chandeliers used to bring about different kinds of lighting:

? Ambient Lighting: If you wish to achieve ambient (general) lighting, you should go in for a big one, which has plenty of bulbs and open lights. This will ensure that the chandelier provides light for the entire room.

? Accent Lighting: If you want to place your chandelier over something specific so as to illuminate that object, or if you want it to provide you with accent lighting for specific areas, then you should choose one with spotlights and down lights. A spotlight will help you to focus lighting on special works of art and help to bring about their beauty. With down lights, you can provide accent lighting for tabletops and other specific areas.

? Diffused Lighting: Many people like to have sober diffused lighting in their home. They do not like the glare of very bright lights. If you too desire such lighting, you should choose a chandelier with uplights. An uplight will throw light on the ceiling which then gets diffused and provides a very warm glow. You can also choose a chandelier with shades as this will help to maximize the light filtering down but reduce the glare at the same time.

Thus, once you have decided on what type of lighting effect you wish to achieve, you can select a chandelier accordingly.

3) Style of the chandelier: As it is most likely going to be the center of attention in any room, it is essential that you choose a chandelier that has a look and style which is in keeping with the rest of your d'cor. You do not want to draw attention to your chandelier for all the wrong reasons after all!

While a traditional crystal chandelier can look at home in almost any setting, if you want to go in for an ornate wrought iron chandelier, or perhaps a contemporary one, it is important to first determine that such a design will match your home d'cor. Remember, while choosing a chandelier style, you want to go in for one that matches your d'cor and not contrasts with it.

In addition to the above, ease of cleaning, number of bulbs (depending on how much lighting you require), and your budget are the other factors to consider when choosing a chandelier.