How high to hang a pendant light over a table, and what size to buy
Hang the bottom of the light 75–90 cm above the table (30–36 in) under a 2.4 m ceiling, and about 7.5 cm higher for every 30 cm of extra ceiling. Make it half to two thirds of the table's width: 45–60 cm across over a 90 cm table. Where people walk under it, keep the bottom at least 2.1 m from the floor. For a light in the middle of a room, add the room's length and width in feet: the sum in inches is the diameter.
Type your ceiling height, your table and the height of the shade you like. The calculator gives the height for the bottom of the light, the drop to ask for, and the diameter that suits the table, and draws it from the side to scale.
The rule, in three numbers
- 75–90 cm above the table. Measure from the table top to the bottom of the light. Jim Lawrence gives 75–85 cm, The Lighting Centre 750–900 mm and Mod Lighting 30–36 in. Under a ceiling taller than about 2.45 m, go higher: Mod Lighting adds 3 in for every extra foot, about 7.5 cm per 30 cm.
- Half to two thirds of the table's width. A 90 cm-wide table suits a light 45–60 cm across. Keep it at least 30 cm narrower than the table, so nobody standing up knocks it.
- 2.1 m clear where people walk. Away from a table, the bottom of the light stays at least 2.1 m from the floor (The Lighting Centre). Jim Lawrence gives at least 2 m.
Drop = ceiling height − (table height + gap above the table) − the shade's height.
Under a 240 cm ceiling, over a 75 cm table, with an 80 cm gap and a 30 cm shade: 240 − (75 + 80) − 30 = 55 cm of cord or rod.
Shops list a pendant's drop in two ways. Some give the cord or rod alone; others give the overall drop, from the ceiling to the bottom of the shade. In the example, the overall drop is 85 cm. Buy a flex or chain that is a little long, then shorten it at the ceiling rose.
Height for your ceiling
For a 75 cm-tall table and a 30 cm-tall shade. The first column is where the calculator aims; the range is what the sources allow.
| Ceiling | Bottom above table | Range | Bottom from floor | Drop, 30 cm shade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 230 cm (7 ft 7 in) | 80 cm | 75–90 cm | 155 cm | 45 cm |
| 240 cm (7 ft 10 in) | 80 cm | 75–90 cm | 155 cm | 55 cm |
| 260 cm (8 ft 6 in) | 84 cm | 79–94 cm | 159 cm | 71 cm |
| 280 cm (9 ft 2 in) | 89 cm | 84–99 cm | 164 cm | 86 cm |
| 300 cm (9 ft 10 in) | 94 cm | 89–104 cm | 169 cm | 101 cm |
Under a 2.8–3 m ceiling, common in older houses, the light hangs 9–14 cm higher over the table than under a 2.4 m one, and on a drop about 30–45 cm longer.
Size: by the table, or by the room
Over a table, the table decides the size. In the middle of a room, the room does.
| Table width | Typical table | Light across |
|---|---|---|
| 80 cm | 120 × 80 cm, for 4 | 40–50 cm |
| 90 cm | 150–180 × 90 cm, for 6 | 45–60 cm |
| 100 cm | 200–220 × 100 cm, for 8 | 50–67 cm |
| 120 cm round | for 4–5 | 60–80 cm |
| 135 cm round | for 6 | 68–90 cm |
The room rule sizes a light that hangs over open floor, such as a living room or hall: add the room's length and width in feet, and the sum in inches is the diameter. In cm, that is (length + width) ÷ 12. The Lighting Centre's metric rule divides by 15 and gives a smaller light, so the calculator shows both as a range.
| Room | ÷ 15 (metric rule) | ÷ 12 (feet-and-inches rule) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 × 3 m | 40 cm | 50 cm |
| 3.5 × 4 m | 50 cm | 63 cm |
| 4 × 5 m | 60 cm | 75 cm |
| 5 × 6 m | 73 cm | 92 cm |
A chandelier's own height matters too. Mod Lighting allows 2.5–3 in of fitting for each foot of ceiling: about 50–60 cm under a 2.4 m ceiling. Over open floor under a low ceiling, the 2.1 m headroom wins, and a flush fitting is the answer.
Two or three lights over a long table
Divide the table into equal parts, one per light, and hang each light over the middle of its part. Keep each light at least 30 cm narrower than its part, so the group stops short of the table's ends. The Lighting Centre gives the same idea for one long bar light: 30–50 cm shorter than the table.
How to measure
- Measure the ceiling height from the floor, where the light will hang. Old ceilings sag and slope, so do not use the height at the wall.
- Measure the table's height and width. Most dining tables are 73–76 cm high.
- Find the shade's height in the shop listing: from the top of the shade (or the lamp holder above it) to its bottom.
- Check where the ceiling rose is. If it is not over the table's middle, a swag hook or a ceiling hook can move the light over the table.
Four common mistakes
- Hanging it in the room's centre, not over the table. The rose is usually in the middle of the ceiling, and the table is often not. Centre the light on the table.
- Hanging it too high. A light near the ceiling lights the room, not the table, and the table loses its pool of light. Bring the bottom down to 75–90 cm above the table.
- Too small for the table. A 25 cm shade over a 200 cm table looks lost. Go to half the table's width, or use two or three lights.
- Forgetting the shade's height. A 60 cm-tall chandelier on the same drop as a 20 cm shade hangs 40 cm lower. Measure to the bottom of the light, not the end of the cord.
Where the sources disagree
| Question | What sources say | We use |
|---|---|---|
| Height above the table | Jim Lawrence: 75–85 cm. The Lighting Centre: 75–90 cm. Mod Lighting: 30–36 in (76–91 cm). | 75–90 cm, aiming for 80 cm |
| Taller ceilings | Mod Lighting: +3 in per foot above 8 ft. Jim Lawrence: +7 cm per 30 cm above 2.5 m. | +7.5 cm per 30 cm above 2.44 m |
| Width against the table | Jim Lawrence and Mod Lighting: half to two thirds. The Lighting Centre: two thirds to three quarters. | Half to two thirds, and 30 cm narrower than the table |
| Size for a room | Mod Lighting: length + width in feet = inches. The Lighting Centre: (length + width in m) ÷ 15. | Both, as a range |
| Headroom over open floor | The Lighting Centre: 2.1 m. Jim Lawrence: at least 2 m. | 2.1 m |
These are lighting shops' rules of thumb, not regulations or studies. Trust your eye at the end: hold the shade up at the height, sit at the table and look across it.
Choosing the bulb too? Warm white or cool white explains the colour, and how to make a room cosy layers the light round the room. Still choosing the table? The dining table size calculator sizes it for your room, and the picture hanging height calculator places the art on the wall beside it.
See the light over your own table
Snuug, the iPhone room app, rebuilds your room in 3D from one slow walk round it, ceiling and all. Paste a shop link for the pendant you like and see it hang over your own table at its real size, then try it higher or lower and watch the drop change before you buy. Your room comes to within about 3% of its real size in our tests of ten homes, and our team checks every room by hand.
Questions
How high should a pendant light be above a dining table?
75–90 cm from the table top to the bottom of the light (30–36 in) under a standard 2.4 m ceiling. 80 cm is a good start: high enough to see across the table, low enough that the light stays over it. Under a taller ceiling, go about 7.5 cm higher for every extra 30 cm.
How far should a light hang from a 2.4 m ceiling?
Over a 75 cm table, with the bottom 80 cm above it, the bottom of the light is 155 cm from the floor. So the light hangs 85 cm from the ceiling to its bottom. With a 30 cm-tall shade, that is 55 cm of cord or rod.
What size pendant light for a 6-seater dining table?
Most 6-seater tables are about 90 cm wide, so a light 45–60 cm across: half to two thirds of the width, and at least 30 cm narrower than the table. Over a 180 cm table, two lights about 45 cm across, one over each half, also work.
How do I work out what size chandelier I need for a room?
Add the room's length and width in feet. The sum, in inches, is the diameter. In metric: (length + width in cm) ÷ 12. A 4 × 3.5 m room gives (400 + 350) ÷ 12 = 63 cm. The Lighting Centre's metric rule, ÷ 15, gives a smaller 50 cm.
How low can a pendant hang in a hall or over a walkway?
Keep the bottom at least 2.1 m from the floor where people walk under it (The Lighting Centre); Jim Lawrence gives at least 2 m. Under a 2.4 m ceiling that leaves 30 cm, so choose a flush or semi-flush fitting there.
How far apart should pendants be over a long table?
Divide the table's length into equal parts, one per light, and hang each light over the middle of its part. Over a 180 cm table, two lights go 45 cm and 135 cm from one end; three go at 30, 90 and 150 cm. The calculator keeps each light at least 30 cm narrower than its part.
Editorial notes
Written by the Snuug team and checked on 1 November 2026. A number with no source beside it is a designers' rule of thumb, not a study.
- Jim Lawrence, Lighting FAQ (75–85 cm above a table; +7 cm per 30 cm of ceiling above 2.5 m; half to two thirds of the table's width; at least 2 m in rooms and halls), checked 31 Oct 2026
- The Lighting Centre (NZ), How to size a pendant (750–900 mm above a table; not lower than 2.1 m in a living space; (length + width) ÷ 15), checked 31 Oct 2026
- IKEA Indonesia, Ideal dining table height (73–76 cm), checked 31 Oct 2026
- Mod Lighting (2 Jan 2025), How to find the right chandelier size for your dining room (room length + width; 30–36 in; +3 in per foot), checked 31 Oct 2026
Use this from an AI assistant
This answer as JSON, or as one paragraph with format=text: https://snuug.app/api/v1/tools/pendant-light
MCP server: https://snuug.app/mcp · OpenAPI · llms.txt. Every rule cites its source.