Hanging a Chandelier Above a Bed

Inspect the wiring in your bedroom to determine if you need to call a professional electrician to install wiring.

Consider the weight of the chandelier to determine if you need to add structural support in the ceiling to support the light fixture. If the chandelier weighs more than 50 pounds, you will need to add additional support.

Measure the height of your bedroom ceiling to decide what size chandelier to hang. Typically, in a bedroom with an 8-foot high ceiling, a 24-inch tall chandelier will work and not appear too large or too small in the room.

Turn off the electricity to the circuit that powers the lighting fixture in your bedroom. Confirm the circuit is off by turning on and off the light switches in the room.

Unscrew the existing light fixture carefully to remove the covering. This may be a glass cover for a light.

Remove the electrical box from the ceiling fixture. These boxes generally screw into a metal bar.

Install the fan brace inside the hole. Lay it down across the hole so it rests flat along the drywall with ceiling joists at each end. Typical fan braces fit 16-to-24-inch ceiling joists. Turn the brace until you find the ceiling joists. Press the brace down until the teeth on the end of the brace lock into the ceiling joists.

Tighten the fan brace with an adjustable wrench. Turn the brace with the wrench to ensure the teeth are tight in the joists.

Slide the U-bolt over the fan brace and slide the electrical box over the threaded ends of the U-bolt. Secure the box with nuts in each threaded side of the U-bolt with the nut driver.

Insert the electrical wires from the ceiling through the hole in the metal electrical box.

Adjust the height of the chandelier by removing chain links before you attach the fixture to the ceiling. You can hang the chandelier above a bed at any height you desire. Keep it high enough you will not bump into it. Calculate where the top of your head will be when you are kneeling upright in the bed, and make sure to figure enough clearance to move freely without feeling that the chandelier is looming right over you. A larger chandelier may need to be positioned higher than a smaller one just to provide the feeling of adequate space.

Thread the chandelier wires up through the last chain link and then into the mounting bar. Screw the mounting bar on the chandelier to the metal electrical box.

Wrap the ground wire to the grounding screw in the electrical box and tighten the screw. Twist the white wire from ceiling to the white wire on the chandelier and encase them in a plastic connector. Connect each black wire the same way. Check the manufacturer’s installation guide to verify which wires to connect, although typically you connect like colors together.

Stuff the wires into the electrical box gently. Slide the chandelier top cover over the chain links and hold it tight against the ceiling. Tighten the retaining collar.

Turn the power circuit back on that connects to the bedroom.