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Can You Custom-Make This to 2.8m × 2.8m, and What Will It Weigh?
Dear Lyfairs,
I am very interested in the chandelier in this picture. Can this specific design be custom-made to cover dimensions of 2.80m x 2.80m? Also, I will be installing it on a suspended ceiling. Could you tell me if this is possible and what the total weight would be so I can prepare the ceiling reinforcement?
a customer from US
Dear friend,
Thank you for thinking about the weight and the ceiling before you order. That's exactly the right instinct, and it tells me you're planning this properly. Let me answer you honestly, and in the right order.
First, can we custom-make it? Yes. Custom work is at the heart of what we do. But I want to be precise with you, because your space calls for more than a simple resize. The piece you fell in love with is long and narrow. What you need is closer to a square, roughly 2.8 meters each way. That's a real change in shape, not just in size, so our team will genuinely redesign the piece for your dimensions, keeping the spirit of the original, but rebuilt to fill your space beautifully.
Second, the weight. Here I have to be careful with you, because this is a safety matter, not a sales one.
I can't give you an accurate weight yet, and I won't guess at one. The original piece has its own weight, but once we redesign it into a 2.8m by 2.8m form, the structure changes, and so does the weight. The only honest way to tell you the true figure is for our team to complete the new design and drawings first. Then we'll give you the exact weight, in writing, so you can plan your reinforcement around a real number, not an estimate. When it comes to holding a heavy piece over people's heads, a guessed weight is worse than no weight at all.
And one important thing about your suspended ceiling.
A suspended ceiling, on its own, is not a load-bearing structure. It hangs below the real structural ceiling, and it cannot carry the weight of a large chandelier. A piece like this must never be fixed to the suspended ceiling itself. Its weight has to be carried by the real structural slab or beams above it, with proper reinforcement passing through the suspended ceiling to that structure. Please plan this with a qualified structural engineer, using the exact weight we provide once the design is done.
A suspended ceiling, on its own, is not a load-bearing structure. It hangs below the real structural ceiling, and it cannot carry the weight of a large chandelier. A piece like this must never be fixed to the suspended ceiling itself. Its weight has to be carried by the real structural slab or beams above it, with proper reinforcement passing through the suspended ceiling to that structure. Please plan this with a qualified structural engineer, using the exact weight we provide once the design is done.
Once we've finished your design and given you the confirmed weight, your structural engineer will know exactly what to reinforce, and how. As a general rule, the ceiling's load capacity should be at least 1.5 times the chandelier's weight, leaving a safe margin. Here's a quick reference:
| Chandelier Weight | Minimum Ceiling Capacity (1.5×) |
|---|---|
| 110 lbs (50 kg) | 165 lbs (75 kg) |
| 220 lbs (100 kg) | 330 lbs (150 kg) |
| 400 lbs (180 kg) | 600 lbs (270 kg) |
| 550 lbs (250 kg) | 825 lbs (375 kg) |
So once you know your piece's confirmed weight, you can read across to see the minimum capacity your ceiling structure needs. For a heavy piece, this guide walks through ceiling weight and safety in more detail:
So here is the honest path forward: yes, we can create this for your space; our team will redesign it properly for a 2.8m by 2.8m footprint; and once the design and drawings are done, we'll give you the exact, confirmed weight, so you and your engineer can prepare the ceiling safely, before anything is ever lifted.
Send me the picture and your space, and let's begin. I'd rather take the time to get this right, and safe, than rush you toward a number I can't yet stand behind.
Yours,
Marie
Founder, Lyfairs
P.S. — Planning a large custom chandelier for a suspended (drop) ceiling? Two things matter most. First, a big change in shape (say, from a long piece to a near-square one) is a true redesign, and the weight changes with it, so a real weight can only come after the new design is drawn. Second, a suspended ceiling can't carry a heavy chandelier on its own; the weight must reach the structural slab or beams above, planned with a structural engineer. Ask us for the confirmed weight once your design is done. This is Letters to Lyfairs.
