How do I know what size light fixtures to buy/pendant lights, outside garage lights, etc.?

One Comment

1. Poopy says:

   July 15, 2009 at 3:58 pm

   It’s hard to say, as I don’t think there is a real rule of thumb other than your personal preference. However, for indoor lights, you want to make sure they are adequate for the task they are meant to fulfill. That is, don’t get a puny little chandelier and expect it to light up an entire 14′ x 18′ dining room, or don’t put a huge carriage lamp in an already-cramped foyer/entry way, and so on.

   Having said that, I would generally recommend to err on the side of too big, for outdoor lights especially. All the lights tend to look huge up close and in the store and you will be tempted to buy the next smaller size, but remember – rarely will you be looking at these lights from 12" away! You’ll want them to have *presence* when you are looking at them from across the street or across the room, etc. So buy big, then get a friend to help hold them in their chosen spot while you go to wherever you will usually be viewing them from before you make any decisions – even if it means going downstairs to look up the stairwell or crossing the street to take in the whole scene. And hopefully, wherever you bought them from will have a liberal return policy so that if you choose wrong the first time, you have a change to correct it. Hope this helps….