A high ceiling, from about 270 cm (9 ft) upwards, changes two things when you choose a pendant light: the size, because a small shade disappears in a tall room, and the drop, because the light has to come down far enough to light the room rather than the ceiling. This guide explains how to size a pendant or chandelier for a high ceiling, gives the real diameters and cable lengths of our larger pendants and chandeliers from their product pages, and shows with real numbers where each one ends under a 300 cm and a 350 cm ceiling.
How to size a pendant for a high ceiling
Two common rules of thumb give a starting point. For width, add the length and the width of the room in feet and use the total as the diameter in inches (in metric, length plus width in metres, multiplied by 8.3, in centimetres). For height, a common guide is about 2.5 to 3 inches of fitting height for every foot of ceiling height, or roughly 7 to 8 cm per 30 cm. A 300 cm (about 10 ft) ceiling therefore suits a fitting of around 64 to 76 cm tall including its drop, and a wide or layered shade fills the volume better than a small globe.
- Room 4 × 5 m under 300 cm: about 75 cm (30 in) wide. The Acrylic Flower Chandelier Ø 80 cm (20–25 m²) or the Large Acrylic Chandelier D80 (15–30 m²) match it.
- Room 5 × 6 m under 350 cm: about 91 cm (36 in) wide. The Large Acrylic D100 or the Pleated Fabric Dish Pendant Ø 100 cm are the widest fittings in our range.
Real sizes and cable lengths
All figures come from our product pages. “Not stated” means the page does not give the figure.
| Light | Diameter | Height of the fitting | Cable | Suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleated Fabric Dish Pendant | 50 / 60 / 80 / 100 cm (19.7 / 23.6 / 31.5 / 39.4 in) | 10 / 12 / 16 / 18 cm | 1.2 m (47 in), adjustable | 5–10 / 8–12 / 10–15 / 10–15 m² |
| Acrylic Flower Chandelier | 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 cm (15.7–31.5 in) | Not stated | 120 cm (47.2 in), adjustable | 3–5 up to 20–25 m² |
| Large Acrylic Chandelier | D60 / D80 / D100 cm round, or L120 cm linear | Not stated | Hardwired ceiling fitting | 15–30 m² |
| French Draped Fabric Chandelier | 50 or 60 cm (19.7 or 23.6 in) | 60 or 70 cm (23.6 or 27.6 in) | Not stated | Not stated |
| French Wabi-Sabi Chandelier | 50 cm (19.7 in) | 25.5 cm (10 in) | Not stated | 3–5 m² |
| Tiered Fringe Fabric Pendant | 36–37 cm (14.2–14.6 in) | 21–22.5 cm (8.3–8.9 in) | Up to 2 m (79 in) | Not stated |
The French Draped is the tallest fitting in this list (70 cm in the Ø 60 size), which gives it presence in a high room even close to the ceiling.
How far to drop a pendant under a high ceiling
Common guides: about 75 to 90 cm (30 to 36 in) between a tabletop and the bottom of the light, and at least 210 cm (about 7 ft) of clear height where people walk. With a 75 cm high table, the bottom of a pendant over the table should sit at about 150 to 165 cm from the floor. Here is where our long-cable lights end at full length (canopy not counted):
- Pleated Fabric Dish Ø 80 under 300 cm: 300 − 120 − 16 = 164 cm from the floor. It reaches table height, and the adjustable wire can be shortened to about 210 cm for the middle of a room.
- Pleated Fabric Dish Ø 80 under 350 cm: 350 − 136 = 214 cm. Right for a walkway, but too high over a table: the 1.2 m wire cannot bring it lower.
- Tiered Fringe under 350 cm: 350 − 200 − 22.5 = about 128 cm at full length, so it can be set anywhere from just under the ceiling down to table height and below.
- Acrylic Flower Chandelier under 300 cm: the 120 cm wire brings the top of the chandelier down to 180 cm; its height is not stated on the product page, so measure the body before choosing it for a table.
Over a long table, follow the rules in our dining table lights guide. For rooms under 250 cm, the opposite problem is covered in lighting for low ceilings.
Frequently asked questions
How low should a pendant hang from a high ceiling?
Over a table, about 75 to 90 cm (30 to 36 in) above the tabletop; where people walk, at least 210 cm (about 7 ft) above the floor, whatever the ceiling height. Check the cable length on the product page: the Pleated Fabric Dish has 1.2 m, the Tiered Fringe up to 2 m.
What size chandelier for a 3 m ceiling?
Size it to the room first (length plus width in feet = diameter in inches), then choose a fitting with some height: about 64 to 76 cm including the drop, as a common guide. In a 20 m² room, the Acrylic Flower Ø 80 cm or the Large Acrylic D80 fit both rules.
Can I shorten the cable?
The Pleated Fabric Dish Pendant and the Acrylic Flower Chandelier have adjustable wires, according to their product pages. The Large Acrylic Chandelier is a hardwired ceiling fitting, so ask your electrician about its suspension.
See our chandeliers and pendant lights collections, and our guides to types of chandeliers and living room ceiling lights.
