Getting the drop right matters more than getting the fitting right. A good light hung at the wrong height looks like a mistake; an ordinary one hung well looks deliberate.
Measure these three things
- Ceiling height. Floor to ceiling at the point the fitting will hang, not at the wall. Sloped and vaulted ceilings need the measurement taken at the hook.
- Surface height. Floor to the top of whatever sits below it — table, island, basin. A dining table is usually 75 cm, an island 90 cm.
- Walking line. Whether anyone walks under it. If they do, the lowest point of the fitting needs 210 cm of clear head height, no exceptions.
Where to hang what
| Situation | Lowest point above | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Over a dining table | 75–85 cm above the tabletop | Cluster, square chandelier, oval globes |
| Over a kitchen island | 75–80 cm above the worktop | Linear bar, single pendants in a row |
| Over a basin or bar | 90–100 cm above the surface | Single pendant, small or large |
| Beside a bed | 40–55 cm above the side table | Three-globe ceiling light |
| In a stairwell or void | Lowest point level with the first floor, or above head height on the stair | Round cascade, ring, nine-globe oval |
| A hall you walk through | At least 210 cm above the floor | Three-globe ceiling light, ring |
Maximum drops
| Fitting | Canopy | Drop range | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shard Pendant — Single, Small | 10 cm round | up to 180 cm | approx. 1 kg |
| Shard Pendant — Single, Large | 10 cm round | up to 180 cm | approx. 1.5 kg |
| Shard Cluster — 3-Drop | 25 cm round | up to 200 cm | approx. 3 kg |
| Shard Ring — 8-Drop | 70 cm ring, cable hung | 30–180 cm | approx. 7 kg |
| Shard Chandelier — 10-Drop Square | 45 × 45 cm | up to 200 cm | approx. 8 kg |
| Shard Chandelier — 10-Drop Round | 60 cm round | up to 200 cm | approx. 9 kg |
| Shard Linear — 10-Drop Bar | 120 × 8 cm bar | up to 200 cm | approx. 8 kg |
| Constellation 3-Globe | 20 cm round | fixed 35/50/65 cm | approx. 3 kg |
| Constellation Oval — 7-Globe | 120 × 30 cm oval | fixed 40–110 cm | approx. 11 kg |
| Constellation Oval — 9-Globe | 120 × 30 cm oval | fixed 40–120 cm | approx. 13 kg |
Flexes can be shortened at installation. They cannot be lengthened, so take the measurement before you order. The Constellation stems are rigid rod at fixed lengths — those can be specified shorter at order if you email us the ceiling height first.
Two things people get wrong
Hanging a table light too high
Above about 90 cm from the tabletop the light stops landing on the table and starts lighting the room badly instead. If you are worried about people bumping their heads, the answer is a smaller fitting, not a higher one — nobody stands up under the middle of a dining table.
Centring on the room instead of the object
A pendant belongs over the centre of the table or the island, not the centre of the ceiling. If those are not the same point — and they usually are not — the ceiling point moves, or you accept it looks off. This is the single most common reason a light gets sent back.
If you are unsure, email info@nalqeris.com with the ceiling height, the surface height and what the room is for. We will tell you which fitting and what drop, and we will say so if the answer is none of them.