You spent a long time looking for the right dining table, chose the perfect light to go with it, and installed everything. And yet something still doesn’t look right. The light hangs too high and gets lost against the ceiling, or it’s too small and floats forlornly above the large tabletop. Perhaps it also causes glare while you’re seated because it hangs a few centimetres too low.
It’s rarely a matter of taste and almost always a matter of dimensions. The length and size of a pendant light is the most underestimated decision when buying a lamp. It determines whether the table becomes the centrepiece or whether even the most beautiful light ultimately looks out of place.
In the next few minutes, you’ll get clear measurements, simple rules of thumb, and right at the beginning a small helper that tells you which light is suitable for your table.
What matters
When people talk about the “ideal length” of a pendant light, they actually mean two different things. The first question is the height: How low should the light hang above the tabletop? The second is the size: How long or wide may the light be in relation to the table? These two dimensions are most often misjudged when buying.
Instead of doing lengthy calculations, simply enter the shape and dimensions of your table into the helper below. You’ll immediately find out which light fixture is suitable, how many you need, how large it should be, and how far apart they should hang.
Find your ideal light
Calculate the perfect pendant light size
What shape is your table?
How large is your table?
Your recommendation
The most important rules at a glance
The configurator does the calculations for you. If you would still like to briefly understand what its recommendation is based on, here are the four rules of thumb in a nutshell.
Hanging height: 60 to 75 cm above the tabletop. At this height, you can comfortably look under the light while seated, and it won't cause glare. The reference point is always the tabletop, not the ceiling. With very high ceilings or for people over 1.90 m tall, 75 to 80 cm may also be suitable.
Size for round tables: one third to one half of the diameter. So over a 120-cm round table, a light of around 60 cm works well. Round tables pair best with round, globe-shaped, or drum-shaped lights.
Size for rectangular tables: 50 to 70 percent of the table length. So over a 200-cm table, choose a linear light between 100 and 140 cm. Important: The light should never extend beyond the edge of the table, otherwise you may bump your head when standing up.
Long tables from 200 cm: choose several small lights in a row. Find the spacing by dividing the table length by the number of lights plus one. This keeps the light even and prevents the ends of the table from being left in the dark.
And a few small details that make all the difference: Make sure the color rendering index is at least 90 (we explain why in the article on color rendering index) and that the light can be dimmed. Our tip from experience: Choose a light that can dim down to 2,200 Kelvin, creating genuine candlelight. Normal warm white is ideal for dinner together, but in the late hours, when only your best friends remain and the wine is open, this warm, golden candlelight really sets the mood. And one more detail that's often forgotten: The light hangs over the center of the table, not the center of the room.
And at LUMIÈRE?
Our lights are designed precisely for this logic. Many models come in several sizes, so you can find the right proportions for every table, and our compact glass globes in particular are ideal for rows over long tables or clusters over round and small tables. In addition, almost all our lights achieve a CRI of 90 or higher, so your food looks as good as it tastes.
