Picking the Perfect Entryway Light Fixture

The entry way is the first impression inside your home. In our home, it’s also one of those awkward areas that can easily dominate the space if left to it’s own device. We’re sharing tips on how to choose an entryway light that suits your space, style and budget.

Let’s start with a mini tour of the space that inspired this post. Welcome to our home! We have a very narrow 2 story entry way that opens to the dining room, living room, and parlor/future drop off area. There’s a small balcony overlook which (although difficult to photograph), gives an overall a grand impression.

Since the day we moved in, we’ve wanted to replace the very basic chandelier in here. It’s all wrong for this space. But finding a lighting option that really fit was a challenge. Especially without spending a small fortune! So I’m sharing what we learned about choosing the best lighting for an awkward area like ours.

Finding the Right Size Lighting for Any Room

First, lighting “rules” will depend on whether a light fixture is being placed over a table or not. For a table, the fixture’s diameter (length) should be ½ to ⅔ the width of the table. It also looks best if the overall shape of the fixture mirrors that of the table. For example, a long rectangular table goes best with a rectangular lighting fixture. The light should hang about 30-35 inches between the table top and the bottom of the fixture.  

Second, the fixture should be proportionately scaled to the space. Start by measuring your room and converting the measurements from feet to inches. Then add them together. For example, our living room is 16.5×25 feet. So, the diamter of our light should be about 16.5+25=41.5 inches (our ceiling fan is 42″). Also take into account the overall shape of the space. Two story foyers can pose a challenge. If it’s very tall and narrow, a light that is also tall and narrow works best.  

Quick Tip: If you still aren’t sure, cut out a large piece of paper in the dimensions of the light you are considering and hang it. This will give you a great visual aid to see how the light will fit in the space.

Affordable Options for Entryway Lighting

After a lot of debate, we chose the Hudson Cage Lantern. It’s ideal for our entryway, while being an affordable and stylish option. The best part about this particular lantern is that it doesn’t have any glass to clean! Cleaning our former light fixture was always a pain because we had to swing it over the balcony and a second person had to hold it. One wrong swing and wooosh! We could’ve broken our arched front window. With a simple duster on an extension pole, this light is much easier to maintain. Maintenance such as bulb replacement and dusting is another key consideration when making your selection.