5 Most Popular Chandeliers: Everything to Know About Them

No matter where you go in the world, light is something that is unanimously considered positive. We’ve been finding ways to light up our surroundings since our hunter-gatherer days and we’ve become so good at it that today we have a type of light for every need and occasion. And perhaps the grandest of them all is the chandelier. 

A chandelier is a ceiling light that has many different light bulbs incorporated into one fixture. The term originally comes from the French word “chandelle”, which translates to candle. This is because, before the advent of light bulbs, these fixtures were fitted with candles instead. 

This type of lighting was revolutionary for its time because with minimal effort it could light up a big room quite adequately. The royalty, in specific, had a keen interest in chandeliers and over the years, they developed more and more sophisticated designs to create the grandest-looking chandeliers. This is why we still consider them an item of luxury and opulence. 

If you’re thinking of adding just a bit of that elegance to your house, going for a beautiful chandelier is the way to go, and in this article, we’re going to provide you with everything you need to know to get started. 

Are Chandeliers Out of Style? 

Let’s dive deeper into the world of chandeliers by answering the most common question we’re asked about them. No, chandeliers are not out of style and are probably never going to go out of style. They are a very dynamic source of light and immediately make their presence felt, especially since they are almost always placed in the most important part of the room.

We understand why people might have this misconception. The traditional design of chandeliers doesn’t always fit the aesthetic of minimalist-styled modern homes but just like other furniture items, chandeliers have evolved too. These days, you can easily find more modern designs and colors for chandeliers. The sky’s the limit once you start exploring. 

Main Types of Chandeliers 

Candle Chandeliers

Starting with the most classic design of chandeliers, we have the candle chandelier. This is probably the one that comes to mind when you think about chandeliers. It’s usually got five extensions, with each one of the extensions having a candle-like design at the end. 

Candle chandeliers can be studded with prisms and pendeloques to appear grander or just be bare to fit in more minimalist styles. The great thing about this chandelier is that it doesn’t take up that much space due to its relatively small frame. One of the areas that you will often see these chandeliers with candles being used in is the dining room, especially above the table. 

Beaded Chandeliers 

A beaded chandelier or chandelier with beads, as it’s commonly called, is the first variation over the candle chandelier that you should know about. This is one of the most fun and interesting chandelier design styles that you’ll come across because it is entirely made up of beads. 

However, if the full-beaded design seems a bit too experimental, there are subtle versions too that mix the beaded design with the traditional candle style. The material used to make the beads varies quite a bit but some of the common materials that you can expect to encounter are glass, shells, and wood. 

A chandelier with wooden beads is especially a great option because it balances out the design a bit more with its rustic touch. 

Crystal Chandeliers

Remember how we mentioned candle chandeliers can be studded with prisms and pendeloques that make them look more refined and elegant? Well, by doing that, a candle chandelier technically becomes what we call a crystal chandelier. The little ornaments that can be attached to the fixture of the chandelier are called crystals because of how they shine.

So when people describe crystal chandeliers as majestic and elegant, they’re saying it because these crystals are reflecting the light amidst themselves and around the room. If you truly want to install a chandelier with crystals, it’s best to use these in the living room or on a spiraling stairway because these areas tend to have a larger space to work with. 

Linear Chandeliers

Find the traditional chandelier a bit too gaudy for your tastes? No problem, you might just like the linear chandelier. This modern twist on the chandelier makes use of light spread across in a straight line or linear fashion. It has seen a lot of interest in the last ten years. 

We see this light most prominently being used as a linear dining room lighting over the dining table. Since the light is right on top of the table and in a linear style, the light hits all corners equally, unlike candle chandeliers. You can get a linear chandelier for your bedroom too because it doesn’t hang as low as other chandelier styles. 

Orbit Chandeliers

If the linear chandelier is not modern enough for you, then maybe the orbit chandelier is just what you need. An orb chandelier essentially encloses the light branches in a globe-like structure with the help of metal bars. The end result is a circular chandelier that grabs attention no matter where it's placed. 

This is perhaps the most unique type of chandelier on this list because the light that is reflected from it makes interesting shadow patterns across the room. We see the orb chandelier mostly being used in styles like mid-century modern and art deco, so if you're designing a themed house using those styles, make sure not to miss out on this. 

Where to Use Chandeliers

Chandelier for Dining Room

Whenever the topic of chandeliers comes up, the living room is the place where most people imagine the chandelier is placed. However, this is not true; it’s actually the dining room that has become the de facto location to place the chandelier. Usually, you can expect to find it placed right above the dining table. 

This was not always the case but has certainly become the standard practice ever since minimalism changed how people set up lights around their homes. If you truly want to give your dining room that oomph to make it stand out from the other areas in your home, consider getting a chandelier for it. 

Chandelier for Foyer 

Every good movie has that opening bit that captivates the audience and sets the mood for the rest of the film. But did you know that you can create this experience with your home too? It’s all about paying attention to the first room of the house; the area you first see when you enter your home. This area is known as the foyer and it matters. 

You might not have this room if you’re living in an apartment but most bungalows around the country do, with exceptionally high ceilings too. And whenever you have a room with high ceilings, adding a chandelier helps balance out some of that empty space. 

Chandelier for Staircase

Speaking of foyers, a lot of American homes have a staircase in the foyer area, which means you can kill two birds with one stone. Having one chandelier that spreads equal amounts of light and glamour to the entry area as well as the staircase section will help you save money and connect the two areas a bit more smoothly. 

But at the same time, some American homes have the staircase in other areas of the house. In such instances, it’s optional to use a chandelier in the staircase but we highly recommend it. The staircase can be a dim area, so a bright chandelier can really transform its appearance. 

Chandelier for Kitchen

Let’s talk about another area that does not see the chandelier being used that much, and that’s the kitchen. The reason is quite simple, kitchens are usually small in size so there’s not enough room to install a chandelier without grabbing too much attention. However, the way around this problem is to get a chandelier that is small and minimal. 

On the other hand, if your kitchen is big enough to have an island in the middle, then a linear chandelier is begging to be installed right above. Why this works great is because your island and chandelier will be in one straight line, on top of each other, which is proportionally quite satisfying to look at.

Chandelier for Living Room 

How could we finish talking about where to use chandeliers without looking at the most iconic and important area of the house? Even if the living room is no more the most popular area to install chandeliers in, it still is the best area to do so because it usually is the biggest room of the house. 

Also, you will most probably spend most of your time in this room with your guests, so it pays to make it look as fancy as you can. Since we want the chandelier to grab attention over here, a crystal chandelier will definitely be the conversation starter you need. 

Trending Chandelier Materials 

Rattan Chandelier

The word rattan is often mistakenly used to describe wicker weaves but rattan is a type of material whereas wicker is the style of weaving. This is an ancient technique of weaving and looks great on rattan-made furniture.

Rattan furniture does not have to be limited to tables and chairs. Now you can add that touch of nature to your home through our Saxon Rattan Chandelier. This natural rattan chandelier looks great in a beach house setting and various farmhouse styles.

Shells Chandelier

While rattan furniture does work well with beach house settings, imagine taking it one step ahead and using actual shells instead, that too on chandeliers. Well, the shells chandelier is a thing, people. And it looks terrific.

We present to you the Textured Bronze Natural Oyster Chandelier. This capiz chandelier diffuses the light in a subtle manner, making it perfect to create that Mediterranean aesthetic. You can even use it for other contemporary styles.

Iron Chandelier

Don’t care much for the beach aesthetic? That’s okay, we have a great alternative — the iron chandelier. In simple words, this is the perfect mix between elegance and ruggedness. 

If your only problem with chandeliers is that they still look too much like chandeliers, you might be interested in our Sethos Black Rectangular Chandelier. We’ve specifically made this metal chandelier for all the industrial and modern style aficionados.

Trending Chandelier Colors 

Gold Chandelier 

The gold chandelier is as elegant as it gets. This is the classic color that was used by royalty and nobles to decorate their palaces and homes. Give your home that royal look through the Grand Lotus Gold Large Chandelier.

Black and Gold Chandelier 

Looking for something straight out of The Great Gatsby? Well, you might like our Grand Lotus Black Large Chandelier. This is an iconic color combination that was popularly used in the art deco interior design style due to how bold the black color made the room appear.

Blue Chandelier

One reason why chandeliers are never going out of style is because of how varied they can look and we can see that most clearly with blue chandeliers. We, in fact, have a few of our own — The Galahad Blue Chandelier, made from recycled glass, oozes vibes of the Mediterranean Sea.

White Chandelier

If you’ve been up to date with our blog posts, you might be aware that we’re big fans of the white color; it is the one color that goes with everything. 

White is also a mainstay color for all minimalist styles of design so imagine how cool a white chandelier would look. Except you don’t have to imagine, we already have a white chandelier, and it goes by The Seaward Large Chandelier. 

If you’ve read so far, we just want to say thank you. Chandeliers are a thing of beauty and we’re so glad to be involved in making them for homeowners who cherish them just like us. 

If you’re wondering what chandeliers are in style, the simple answer is linear chandeliers but the more nuanced answer is that it does not matter that much. Choose a chandelier that will match your style. Just be mindful of the dimensions. You want something that will not crowd your room but will stand out as well. Here’s a quick recap of the five chandelier types we looked at in this article:

Candle Chandeliers
Beaded Chandeliers
Crystal Chandeliers
Linear Chandeliers
Orbit Chandeliers