One of the easiest ways to dress up your space and update the style is by changing your chandelier. Before you run out the door in search of the perfect chandelier, make sure you know the dimensions of your space. An appropriately sized chandelier should serve as a beautifying focal point that fits seamlessly into your overall design scheme.

For a room without furniture: Add the length and width of your room in feet, and then convert that number to inches. For example, a room that is 12 feet by 14 feet (12 + 14 = 26) would require a chandelier this is approximately 26 inches wide.

For a room with furniture: If you already have a dining room table in the space, the width of your chandelier should be about a foot smaller than the width of your table. This will leave a 6-inch clearance from the outer edge of the chandelier to the table’s edge.

The bottom of your chandelier should rest at least 30-34 inches above the tabletop. Adjust according to personal preference, fixture style and ceiling height. It is okay to hang your chandelier a bit higher in dining rooms with cathedral ceilings.

Chandelier height should be about three inches for each foot of ceiling height, so for a room with a standard 8-foot ceiling (3 x 8 = 24), choose a chandelier with an approximate height of 24 inches.

As we've discussed in the past on this blog, spring is National Electrical Safety Month, and now is the perfect time to brush up on the best practices and preventative measures that homeowners should take to avoid an electrical disaster. Some of these tips and tricks are generally common sense - like keeping water away from any open current, or replacing a frayed wire to avoid any sparks or arcing - while others may not be so obvious.

For example, you may not realize it, but there could be underground wires surrounding your house that could easily be compromised when you are gardening. If you have a light post in your front yard, there is likely a wire that connects it to your home's main electrical hook up, or if you have a detached garage with power in your back yard, that connection too probably runs beneath your lawn. Even some pool owners power their filters through underground wiring set ups.

Whether you are simply laying down new sod or intend to plant some shrubbery along your driveway, before taking a shovel to dirt, you want to be sure you aren't severing a wire that could make you vulnerable to potential electrocution.