Lighting and Ceiling Fans

These pages cover the sizing questions that come up when you choose a ceiling fan, a chandelier, recessed lights or pendants: blade span for the room, fixture diameter and hanging height, light spacing and count, and how many lumens a room needs. Most of the figures are rules of thumb from lighting and fan guides rather than codes, so each page names its sources and shows the rule it uses. Electrical work and fixture ratings are for the product label and a licensed electrician.

Tools in this group

Ceiling Fan Size Guide — Enter the room length and width and the ceiling height to see the blade span each guide lists for that area and the downrod you need.
Chandelier Height above a Table — Enter the ceiling height, table height and fixture height to see how far above the tabletop to hang the chandelier and how much chain or rod to buy.
Chandelier Size Calculator — Enter the room length, width and ceiling height to get the chandelier diameter by two common rules, the fixture height and the longest drop that keeps 7 ft clear.
Chandelier Size over a Dining Table — Enter the table width (or diameter) and length to get the chandelier diameter range and the widest fixture that leaves a gap to the table edge.
How Many Recessed Lights Do I Need? — Choose the room, its size, the ceiling height and the lumens of one light to see the count by lumens and the count by the spacing rule side by side.
Lumens per Square Foot by Room — Pick a room and enter its size to get the lumens per square foot from the guides, the total lumens for the room and how many bulbs of your brightness that takes.
Pendant Light Height Above a Kitchen Island — Enter your counter and ceiling heights to see how high to hang island pendants, how long the drop is, and how many fit along the island.
Recessed Lighting Spacing Calculator — Enter your ceiling height and room size to get the spacing between recessed lights, how far from the walls, and how many lights the grid needs.
What Size Ceiling Fan for a 12x12 Room? — A 12 × 12 ft room is 144 sq ft, where the guides change size band. See the blade span each lists and change the room or ceiling to compare.
What Size Ceiling Fan for a Bedroom? — Enter the bedroom length and width and the ceiling height to see the blade span the guides list for that area, and the downrod you need.