I should add that I bought this light fixture for the room but am hesitating now because the reviews all say stuff like "We put this in our powder room - it looks great!" and I'm wondering if it'll look wimpy in such a large bedroom.

https://www.wayfair.com/House-of-Hampton%C2%AE-Lapham-4-Light-Flush-Mount-HOHM5114.html?refid=TEM_WF_2485&mmid=833374032&csnid=4FFCECEE-DB0A-4387-B585-1723C9673624&libra_c=&libra_d=&libra_g=&cltr=

I have a 18x14 room 8.5 ft ceilings, so smaller than yours, but it would look silly with a 32 inch over head chandelier! It is a 90 year old house so I too would not like recessed lighting but I think my orginal flush mount fixtures of 10x4 look fine for the rooms scale. I think flush or recessed is best with the ceiling height but 36 inches for a bedroom is to much.

yes. i have an idea. love overhead fixtures myself..the ceilings(with an exception of the entry and the living) are standard though..8', not less. will be crazily expensive. well, was to me. what's your budget? and style?

if it's something close to what I have in mind-I'll try to dig it for you later..should be saved on my Pinterest board(almost everything stayed inspiration..lol)

hint: elongated fixtures..branches, if you will. some can be used as wall chandeliers too. I have both modern, simpler and very elaborate examples..but it'd be a thousand bucks for some, and three or four for others..

unless you manage to find something like this on eBay or the likes. I couldn't. It stayed inspiration:) Went with something else..

@aprilneverends, Not a huge budget - I'd go up to $250 for the right piece. But even if this won't buy what you're considering, I'd still love to see it!

well..not much hope then:) sometimes you can get lucky though. My entry light that I paid 70 bucks for is selling for 9K on 1stDibs..who knew, right? Not me, not the folks who sold it to me. But it's a normal chandelier..these are easier to find

give me some time ok? my boards grow and grow, even though I don't need lighting anymore..one can't stop collecting, albeit virtually..))

and you might hate it, I warn you-my taste is all over the place, I like many things

not there yet..but this is cheaper..not what i meant..too low probably, I had another one in mind..yet see how the lights are flexible? you're controlling the height..and it's not over-imposing since every light sits on its own stem...they have several designs..made in the US..modern of course..the store gets great reviews. the pin will take you to the store

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/512354895087249792/

let me try and find the one though i was talking about..

..ok think i got it..also modern..clean lines..sits close to the ceiling(or the wall..something to consider)

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/512354895087103075/

can't find the other meanwhile..have to run for now..but it was flowers..:)

I have 8 ft ceilings and none of the bedrooms have overhead lights. I really, really dislike them in bedrooms - lying in bed they shine in your eyes, unless you have a switch wired by your bed, you have to turn them out then make your way to bed...or go to the bed, turn on a lamp, return to the switch by the door to turn it off, etc. My house has all the upper electric outlets wired to wall switches, so you can plug your lamps into them and use the switch to turn them on and off. Or turn the lamp on at the switch, then turn it off with the lamp switch when you're in bed.

If I were you, I'd mock up a light the size you are thinking with cardboard or a balloon(s) and tape it to the ceiling to see what you think about having one there. It's unclear to me what the advantage would be to add one, but I don't live there!!

Will the light be over the end of the bed? If so, you shouldn't have to worry too much about height. I'd stick with a semi flushmount at most though. Do any of these appeal? All under $250 and all from Lamps Plus.

I'm not a fan of overhead fixtures in bedrooms, either. Lamps and sconces should do the trick. After all, you are sleeping in there, not using it as a workroom.

@katinparadise, Thank you! I had actually been eyeing that Kathy Ireland fixture. The second one is really pretty too. I'm going to go read some of the reviews.

@Anglophilia must be a personal preference thing. It drives me crazy that we don't have overhead lights!

I also thought of that Kathy Ireland fixture..:) I have it saved as well

the diameter is though smaller than what you were looking for..not that it makes it a "no"..but I remembered you wanting a bigger one

you can though, besides contemplating the overhead lighting..

a) go for sconces. besides lamps etc. they're higher..gives a different feel.

b) consider installing a skylight. totally changes the perception of the ceiling's height

it is a personal preference..and a matter of what one's accustomed to. I grew up having overhead lights. True, our ceilings were much higher then..

Together with that, you should do the best with the space you've got

I broke the rule of "no overhead lights with standard ceilings"..where I could of course..I'm happy I did-it breaks the expanse of the ceiling..brings more interest..you're less concentrating on that "oh my ceilings are low"

but every room is different. some are square, some are rectangular....some are darker, some are naturally lighter..take your own unique space into account

say, in the master that's kinda long, we installed a skylight...put a pendant in the corner, over the sitting area..installed sconces...also have table lamps of course

in DD's room that's small and already has a skylight, we didn't hardwire anything, but I bought this vintage wall chandelier..a long sconce, essentially..it's not overhead lighting yet it looks like one...:) that brings the feeling that chandeliers usually give..and what's important is the feeling. The feeling, you can get in many ways, as I've learned...

In other rooms that are either smaller or somehow more conductive to have this overhead lighting, I went with flush mounts or semi flush..it looks totally fine. They're all on dimmers-we saw to that..and there are other lamps in the rooms, table ones next to beds, and floor ones, and sconces..so you don't rely on this overhead light only..but you have it. You have layers of lighting, and it gives you all the flexibility. And you control the feel and the function..which is obviously a very good thing.

That taught me there are no rules set in stone..you look at your room and you see by what means you can get the feel and the function you're after. And if it's a mix that's the best of course.

Where would the light be located with respect to the bed? I.e. would it put the focus on the bed?

BTW, I love that KI fixture.

But then I also really like the Lindsey Adelman DIY chandelier...

BTW..no, not in any budget not any close..but it's exactly 36":) so feel obliged to post it lol

I think though the lighter visually it is, the airier it is-the better in your case. Exact diameter is less important.

The right questions about the placement have been asked above.

You can also look into a hanging pendant over the sitting area if you have one. These can be indefinitely cool. And give a very cozy feeling. Still overhead; yet off set, and where you sit, not walk..you're much less restricted this way, since much more choice, both in new and vintage lighting.

Flush and semi-flush, they are awfully behind in these..the manufacturers I mean..they got better lately, but there's a lot of room for improvement. My flush mounts and semi flush mounts are vintage. Well almost all my lights are. But ceiling lights are notoriously hard to get at the right meeting point of price and quality.

You're welcome Claire. I have a Possini fixture in my bathroom and I love it. The quality is very good IMO. I use Lamps Plus all the time.

I love lighting. I think each room should have multiple layers of light in it. For my bedroom, I have 8 4" recessed cans. If I had it to do over again, I would do some of the slim surface mounted fixture (Lotus Leds or George Kovacs). These don't require a housing or messing with the insulation in the ceiling. My bedrooms have ceiling heights at 8feet also. I did not want a fixture that protrudes into the space. I have a hugger ceiling fan in the middle of the room and even at 10", a tall person would be cautious under the fan.

Apart from the recessed lights, I also have bed side lighting. The recessed lights are switched with two dimmers. The recessed lights that are over the bed are on one dimmer (there is one fixture over the bed), and the other lights are on the second dimmer. I have a Lutron Caseta based lighting system so I can turn all the lights on without flipping switches from my iphone or with Siri. The lights in my bedroom come on at 100% when I am cleaning or ironing in my room. The majority of the time, the recessed lights are at 50% output. Also, the recessed lights are used often in the winter due to the number of daylight hours being reduced.

Good luck!