Marie Flanigan teaches us how to find the perfect light fixture diameter – she says it's 'the best design tip I've learned'

Selecting the perfect chandelier for a space, whether it is a luxe dining room or a contemporary bedroom, is one of the most important steps towards incorporating lighting into the home. And apart from the aesthetics of the piece, size is incredibly significant. A massive chandelier can encroach on a small space, while a petite fixture might fade into a large room.

Luckily, Marie Flanigan, celebrated designer and beacon of interior styling wisdom, recently shared a clip to her Instagram page bestowing us with a fantastic piece of advice on light sizing that will ensure fixtures perfectly suit your space.

'The best design tip I've learned is finding the perfect diameter for a light fixture,' she states in the video.

Her tip is simple, and just requires some quick room measurements and calculations.

'Here's the trick: first you take the length and the width of the room and you add them together, turn them into inches, and that's the diameter you're looking for,' Marie explains.

'So for example, if you've got a 12 foot by 12 foot room, add 12 and 12 together is 24, make that inches, so you're looking for about a 24-inch diameter chandelier.'

We can see why she has declared this one of the best design tips. Typically, measuring a light fixture can be a daunting, involved process, including measuring the dimensions of the space, the dimensions of the desired light fixture, and the area that it will be hung in.

It is also important to note that height is a crucial lighting scale factor, too. Particularly in dining spaces, where tables serve as communal gathering points, a low-hanging light is undesirable, as it can be disruptive and even dangerous.

As we consider 2025 lighting trends, we are keeping Flanigan's advice top of mind. Below, find a few light fixtures that we have been coveting, which come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

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