Contemporary Options

While traditional chandeliers are heavy and heavy looking - made of wrought iron and lead crystals - contemporary chandeliers are much lighter. Made of aluminum, these beauties are lightweights in terms of weight and corresponding price. Thanks to new advances in design and materials, you don't have to pay for raw materials that aren't seen or needed for strength or support. One of the great things about these contemporary chandeliers is that they go with a wide range of styles, from traditional to modern. Let's face it. It's hard to match an overly ornate gold and crystal chandelier with a modern furniture grouping. They go together about as well as peanut butter and Swiss cheese. Eschewing complex designs, contemporary chandeliers get their beauty through intriguing and innovative design concepts. But don't think these chandeliers are blasé. Hardly. They instantly draw the visitor's eye while adding superior lighting design to any space in your home.

Thinking Small is Big

These Days Not all chandeliers are monstrosities that require a crane to install. Mini chandeliers are really popular these days and fit into smaller spaces than their full-sized counterparts. Minis are particularly well suited for hallways and open spaces where a full sized chandelier would look silly. Thanks to their smaller size, they're also easy for any homeowner to install. If you've mastered a ceiling lighting fixture or a ceiling fan, a mini chandelier is a snap to add to your home. The process is virtually the same and they can usually be installed without the need for additional support or bracing in the ceiling.

The Lowdown on Installation

If you ignore their haughty-taughty legacy, a chandelier is basically just a lighting fixture. Its primary purpose is to bring light to an area of your home. The design is really secondary. When shopping for a chandelier, be sure that you consider the space you're going to install it in. You don't want to pick a chandelier that's too tall for the ceiling height you have or get one that's too small for a larger space. Most home modern lighting and home improvement stores have plenty of choices available for you to look at, ranging from the gold and crystal masterpieces to the more modern and contemporary models If you've settled on a mini chandelier, replacing an existing fixture is a snap. First, be sure that you shut off the electricity to the outlet on the ceiling. Turning the light switch off on the wall is not the way to do this. You need to do it at the main service panel in your home. If you're not comfortable doing this, then it's probably best to call in a handyman. More than one do-it-yourselfer has become French fried by an outlet that was still hot. If there is no existing wiring in the ceiling, you probably want to call in an electrician.

Adding a new junction box isn't something an amateur should tackle, particularly one that is on the ceiling where everything is upside down and it's easy to become disoriented. If you're installing a large chandelier, you may need additional support in the ceiling. Cross braces may be needed to distribute the weight of the chandelier over a wider area so your ceiling doesn't end up on your floor. Mini chandeliers aren't this complex. Usually the instructions found in the box are all you need. Once you shut off the power at the main service panel, the installation is fairly quick. While you're doing it yourself, you may want to consider adding a dimmer switch to the wall to control the chandelier. The dimmer will allow you to create a mood or alter the intensity of the lighting.