Collections · By finish

Brass and Gold Chandeliers at KES

68 chandeliers in brass, gold and gilded finishes, sized from a small hall to a double-height stairwell.

Impex New York 24 Light Crystal Chandelier in Gold, lit, in a styled room. Editorial image for the Brass and Gold Chandeliers collection.

Where a chandelier earns its keep

A chandelier is the one fitting bought for what it looks like switched off. Gold and brass suit it better than chrome because the metal reads warm in daylight and disappears behind the crystal at night.

68 chandeliers, from £113 to a Schonbek at over £17,000, with Diyas, Kolarz and Eichholtz the names that recur.

What we'd tell you in the showroom

Measure the room before you fall for one. The old rule of thumb still works: add the room's length and width in feet, and that number in inches is about the right diameter. The lowest point needs 2.1m of headroom unless it hangs over a table, where 80cm clear is enough.

The Impex New York is the honest starting point at under a thousand pounds: crystal, gold and a drop that suits a stairwell. The Hinkley Spyre 6 is the choice if you want the shape of a chandelier without the crystal.

Anne McKenna, senior sales

Brass and Gold Chandeliers Recommendations & Buying Advice

Something around 55 to 60cm across is a sensible starting point for a room of about 3 by 3.7 metres. A common rule adds the room's length and width in feet and reads the total as inches: 10 plus 12 gives 22 inches, about 56cm. The Diyas Zinta 6 Light, at 600mm wide, fits that brief. Go larger over a big table or in a tall room, and check the drop as well as the width.

As a starting point, about half to two thirds of the table's width, so it feels part of the table without crowding the people around it. For a 90cm wide table that is roughly 45 to 60cm, where the Diyas Zinta 4 Light sits at 500mm across. A long table suits a linear design, such as the Quintiesse Kimrose 10 Light Linear at 114cm wide, or two smaller chandeliers spaced along it.

About 75 to 90cm from the table top to the bottom of the chandelier is a good starting point, adjusted for the fitting's size and the sightlines across the table. Check that the listed drop range reaches that from your ceiling: the Diyas Zinta 8 Light, listed for use over a dining table, has a drop of 56 to 156cm. Follow the maker's instructions to set it. See our dining room lighting.

We would choose crystal for sparkle and glass for a quieter appearance. Crystal suits a formal room, as on the Schonbek Rivendell with Swarovski Radiance crystal, though there are more pieces to dust. Glass shades, such as the clear fluted glass on the Quintiesse Kimrose, give a calmer look with the brass frame in charge. Browse our crystal chandeliers.

When its minimum drop leaves too little headroom. Many hang long by design: the Diyas Alexandra 49 Light 4 Tier has a minimum drop of 2.68m, which suits a stairwell or double height hall, not a standard ceiling. Where people walk beneath, aim for about 2.1m clear as a starting point. In a lower room, look at a shallow design such as the Quintiesse Nye, adjustable from a 371mm drop, or a semi flush ceiling light.

The cap, how many you need and whether you want to dim it. Most here take E14 bulbs, with a few taking E27 or G9, and nearly all are supplied without bulbs, so check the cap and any bulb size limits on each listing. To dim, you need a fitting that permits it, dimmable bulbs and a compatible dimmer; many listings say dimmable lamps are required. Our E14 and E27 guide explains the caps.

Over a dining table, in a hall or stairwell, a living room or a bedroom, and in a bathroom only if it is made and rated for the position. Most here with a listed IP rating are IP20, which is not for the wet zones around a bath or shower, but the Quintiesse Pim Bathroom 5 Light is IP44. Check the maker's instructions and the bathroom zones with a qualified electrician.