La Luce Vita
What installation directions DON’T say
I can’t say that before operating a lighting store I thought much about how chandelier cords ought to be hung – much less those of Italian origin in particular. But ever since opening Lunaria – and dealing with more electricians and customers than I can count – I’ve come to the conclusion that this is really a subtle detail of design.
In most cases, lights that do not hang on a chain will have both an electrical wire and a tension wire, along with some tiny, clear rubber bands. What should NOT happen – but frequently does – is to have both wires hang together at the same length (and therefore the same level of tension). This is a problem for a couple of reasons:
In terms of the fixture’s lifespan, this arrangement puts undue strain on the electrical wire, which could eventually short the wire, ruining the light. Nobody wants that.
Aesthetically, this is a problem because the two wires will never read visually as one. At some level your eye/mind becomes distracted by this, which in turn detracts from the overall feel of what is truly a carefully crafted aesthetic.
“OK, Alia,” I hear you say, “that’s great – but how DO you properly hang an Italian chandelier?” Well, since a picture is worth a thousand words, let me just “say” this:
Notice that the tension wire – the wire that serves to suspend the fixture from the canopy, properly bearing the full weight of the fixture – forms a straight line between the canopy and the fixture, while the electrical wire is loosely “wrapped” around the tension wire, softening the feel by creating an “S”.
What I like to do when I hang a fixture is to leave a little extra electrical wire inside the canopy. That way, I can adjust it “in the field” to create as much softness as I need. The rubber bands are provided to help you with this: they control where the two wires meet, and can be a critical tool in managing your overall feel.
Happy hanging!
