Staircase
A stairwell is the one place in a house with height to spend. A staircase chandelier gets read from two floors at once - as a sculpture from below, at eye level from the landing - so it has to look finished from every angle. For the wall lighting that goes with it, see all stairway lighting.
Hanging heights and stairwell tips
How far should it hang?
Keep the bottom of the fixture at least 7 feet above any tread or landing, and line it up with the middle of the tallest window so it reads from the street as well as from inside. A two-storey entry usually takes a 40 to 60 inch drop; three storeys can carry 72 inches or more.
Spiral, tiered and multi-ring
Cascading spirals and stacked crystal tiers are built for exactly this space - they fill vertical volume without getting wider, which matters in a narrow well. Multi-ring designs do the same job in a cleaner, more contemporary line.
Before you order
Ask for the total drop rather than the fixture height alone, and check how the canopy will be reached - anything hung over a stairwell needs a lift or scaffold to clean, so a sealed crystal or glass design ages better than an open candelabra.
See also large chandeliers, crystal chandeliers and foyer light fixtures.
