Chandelier, Fanoos and Jhumar Designs for Home
By Metify Homes
Chandelier, fanoos, jhumar, jhoomar. Four words, one thing: a decorative light with several lamps that hangs from the ceiling and is meant to be looked at. Shops in Lahore and Karachi mostly say fanoos, online stores say chandelier, and your nani probably says jhumar.
What has changed is the range. Ten years ago a fanoos meant tiers of crystal and gold. Today the same shop sells black rings, glass bubbles and wooden frames beside them. This post sorts the designs into families so you can tell what you are looking at and where it belongs.
The design families
Classic crystal. Tiers of cut crystal drops on a gold or chrome frame. Formal, bright, and unmistakably a fanoos. It belongs in a drawing room with traditional furniture or in a double-height lobby. It needs regular cleaning to keep its sparkle.
Candle style. Curved arms, each ending in a small candle-shaped bulb, with or without crystal. Lighter and more open than full crystal. Suits dining rooms and drawing rooms with wooden furniture. The bulbs are usually the small screw type, E14, so buy spares when you buy the fitting.
Modern ring. One or more thin LED rings, in gold, black or white, hung flat or at angles. Clean lines and a lot of even light. Suits modern lounges and bedrooms, and works on lower ceilings because it is slim.
Branch or sputnik. Straight or bent arms spreading from the centre, each with a bulb or glass ball at the end. Black and brass are common. Suits a modern lounge or a dining table and looks good with nothing else decorative near it.
Glass globe cluster. A group of clear, smoked or amber glass balls at different heights. Soft light, good over stairs and in entrance halls.
Drum or shaded. Bulbs hidden inside a fabric or metal shade, sometimes with crystal inside it. The quietest design. Suits bedrooms and rooms where a bare-bulb fitting would glare.
Wood, cane and rattan. Natural materials around a simple frame. Warm and informal. Suits a TV lounge, a breakfast area or a verandah room. The Shaw Pendant Ceiling Light is a quieter modern piece from our own range.
Turkish mosaic. Coloured glass globes in patterned mosaic, hung in a cluster. More colour than brightness. Lovely in a corner, a stairwell or a room meant for sitting and talking. Not enough light on its own for a main room.
Fanoos with fan. A ceiling fan with a light fitting built around or below it. It solves the fan-versus-chandelier fight in a bedroom with one ceiling point. Check blade size and air delivery as carefully as the look, because you will feel a weak fan every summer night.
Which design for which room
| Room | Designs that suit it | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing room | Classic crystal, candle style, large modern ring | Small pieces that disappear under a high ceiling |
| TV lounge | Modern ring, branch, wood or cane | Heavy crystal low over seating |
| Dining room | Candle style, branch, linear ring, globe cluster | Anything wider than two-thirds of the table |
| Bedroom | Drum or shaded, small ring, fanoos with fan | Bare bright bulbs in view from the pillow |
| Stairs and double height | Long crystal cascade, globe cluster, multi-tier ring | Wide flat designs |
For sizes and hanging heights, use our chandelier size guide.
What decides the price
Two pieces that look alike in photos can be far apart in price. These are the reasons.
Crystal, glass or acrylic. Real cut crystal is heavy, perfectly clear and throws small rainbows on the wall. Plain glass is clear but flatter. Acrylic is plastic: light in the hand, slightly cloudy, and it yellows and scratches with age. Ask which it is. The weight of the fitting is a quick clue.
Size and number of lights. More arms, more tiers and more holders cost more, and so does the stronger frame needed to carry them.
The finish. A plated metal finish keeps its colour for years. A sprayed gold paint can dull or flake, especially in humid coastal air.
Built-in LED or replaceable bulbs. Ring and modern designs usually have the LEDs built in and run from a driver. They are efficient and slim, but if the driver fails you need a replacement part, not a bulb from the corner shop. Many have three light colours you change by flicking the wall switch. Designs with ordinary holders let you choose and replace bulbs yourself.
For current prices, look at each product page. We do not print prices in articles because they change.
Matching the fanoos to the room
Pick up the metal colour already in the room: curtain rods, door handles, frames. Gold with warm walls and wooden furniture. Black or chrome with white and grey. Then make the wall lights agree with the chandelier, not compete with it.
One statement per room is enough. If the chandelier is elaborate, keep the wall lights plain.
Cleaning and care
Dust is the enemy of every fanoos here, and crystal shows it first.
Switch off at the board and let the bulbs cool.
For a routine clean, wipe each crystal with a soft dry microfibre cloth. Cotton gloves make this faster.
For a deep clean every few months, use a cloth barely dampened with clean water and a drop of mild soap, then dry each piece. Do not spray liquid into the bulb holders.
Never turn the chandelier to reach the far side. Move yourself around it. Twisting can loosen the fixing above.
Before whitewash or paint work, cover the fitting fully in a plastic sheet. Paint mist on crystal is very hard to remove.
See the full range in our chandeliers collection.