The “Right” Height for Dining Room Lighting

Regina Yunghans
Regina Yunghans
Regina is an architect who lives with her husband and children in Lawrence, KS. As a LEED Accredited Professional and longtime contributor to Apartment Therapy and The Kitchn, her focus is on healthy, sustainable living through design.
published Mar 1, 2012
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(Image credit: Marisa Vitale)

When it comes to things like what height to hang dining room lighting, there’s not exactly a strict right and wrong. There are standards, but aren’t those made to be deviated from? Let’s take a look.

The standard height for hanging a chandelier or pendant lamp over the dining table is 30 inches from the tabletop. But then again, rules are made to be broken. The fixture in my home, for example, is 36 inches above the tabletop. I like this height, as it puts the fixture at 5 feet, 6 inches above the floor — just high enough for me to walk under if the room is rearranged.

I’ve heard of others placing dining table lighting at 6-feet for that same reason, but I find that a little too high above the tabletop for my taste.

Do you know the height of your dining room lighting? Know the rhyme or reason for how it got there?

Related: A Lamp on the Dinner Table

Filed in:
Dining Room