A chandelier turns a house into something grander

From candles to LED: the story of the chandelier

For a long stretch of the Middle Ages, houses were lit by fire in an open hearth and by very little else.

When candles arrived - chandelles in French, which is where the word comes from - they were expensive enough to be the preserve of the wealthy. The first chandelier appeared in the 14th century and was a plain thing: a wooden cross with spikes to hold the candles. Over the following centuries that plain cross turned into an object made of glass, bronze and steel, and into a fixture of palaces and castles.

Chandeliers quickly became a way of showing standing. Landowners competed over who could commission the most impressive one. They lit a hall, and they said something about whoever owned it.

The chandelier today

It is no surprise that hanging lighting is still valued. A well-chosen chandelier, hung at the right height, does the same job it always did, with far more scope than it once had.

Contemporary chandeliers run from classical to strictly modern, and LED versions make them more practical than they have ever been. They are no longer confined to dining rooms and hallways: bedrooms, dressing rooms and even bathrooms take one well, wherever the room can carry a focal point.

LED means no more changing bulbs at the top of a ladder, lower running costs, and shapes that would not have been possible with a candle or an incandescent lamp.

Choosing and hanging one

• Over a dining table, choose a chandelier roughly 30 cm narrower than the shortest side of the table. For a table 120 x 180 cm, that means about 90 cm across.
• The usual hanging height is about 75 cm above the table with a 2.4 m ceiling. For a higher ceiling, add about 2.5 cm for every additional metre.
• Match the finish - brass, polished metal, crystal, wood - to the room rather than to the fitting you saw in a photograph.
• A ceiling rose is a good addition to a classical chandelier; it finishes the installation properly.
• Fit a dimmer. It is the cheapest way to make one fitting work both for a dinner and for a family meal.

Come and ask

Our showroom is at 9a Saborni Blvd in Varna. Come and talk to someone who works with this every day: you will get an answer on size, style, height and installation for your particular room and budget, and it costs nothing.

A chandelier is not only a light fitting. It is the thing the room is arranged around.