What size lamp suits your room?

A lamp that looked perfect in the photo and looks too small at home: that is rarely down to the photo and almost always down to its proportion to the room. With two simple rules you will never be far off.

The rule for a room

Add the length and the width of the room in metres together. That number, in centimetres, is a good diameter for a central lamp.

A room of 4 by 5 metres gives 9, which means a lamp of about 90 centimetres across. That seems substantial on paper, but in real life it hangs just right.

The rule above a table

Above a dining table it is not about the room but about the top. Keep to about half to two thirds of the table width, and leave at least thirty centimetres free on both sides.

The full explanation with examples is in what size lamp above your dining table.

Why too small goes wrong more often than too big

A lamp that is too small disappears. It hangs there looking a bit lost and the room still looks empty. A lamp that is slightly too big reads as a choice, as a statement.

If you are torn between two sizes, take the bigger one. That does not apply if someone walks underneath; then the clearance always wins.

Try it out before you order

Cut a circle out of cardboard in the stated diameter and hold it where the lamp will go. In ten seconds you know whether it is right. It is the cheapest way to avoid an expensive mistake.

With high ceilings the height counts too

Above three metres you look not only at the diameter but also at the height of the fitting itself. A flat lamp disappears in a high room. See lighting in a void.

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