Hanging Light Fixtures – From Chandeliers to Swag Lamps

Hanging lighting fixtures provide direct light over tables, reading nooks, stairways and more. Mankind has been hanging lights for thousands of years. In poor houses the only light at night would have been provided by the cooking fire, but in wealthier households that could afford expensive oil or candles, light would be provided in one of two ways – either by torches secured in sconces along the stone walls, or from elaborate overhead chandeliers that were lowered via a pulley system filled with hundreds of lighted candles and then raised back above the heads in the dining hall.

Though these hanging fixtures provided plenty of light there was a hazard of dripping wax to contend with. We have come a great way since then.

Electricity created a revolution in the concept of interior lighting. Suddenly households other than the very richest could afford to have chandeliers over their dining tables, or in the entry hall of even a modest home.

Hanging light fixtures evolved from the gigantic models of castle and great hall into a huge variety in shape, size and materials so that there is now a hanging fixture appropriate for every home, and any situation.

The key to choosing these light fixtures lies in understanding exactly the space that you wish to have illuminated. For example, a hanging fixture over a dining table will traditionally need to be installed low enough that the light pool successfully covers the entirety of the table.

A fixture that will hang in the hall over the stairs however will need to hang higher in order to cast light over more of the staircase and to avoid impeding access up the stairs even for very tall people. Knowing how much territory the lamps will have to illumine can make the shopping experience much more productive.

Hanging light fixtures come in thousands of styles, from a simple alabaster dish supported by brass struts to a grand tiered crystal confection. The key to finding the right fixture for your home lies in remembering proportions. Glamorous ‘wedding cake’ crystal chandeliers will need a room large enough with high ceilings to accommodate such a showpiece without seeming cramped.

On the other hand, placing a single pedant lamp in a room with cathedral ceilings will look chintzy. Start with proportions and then shop for lamps in the right size that compliment your décor and you will be sure to find the perfect hanging fixture.