How To Light Your Dining Room
Contents
Introduction to Dining Room Lighting
The dining room is possibly the most multifunctional and personalised area in a house. In some homes it’s simply an area for dining, in others it also provides an area for hosting, working or relaxing.
Layering Dining Room Lighting
The way that you light your dining room is largely determined by what the space offers. If the room is large it allows the opportunity to make a statement through an extravagant dining room chandelier or pendant light. To avoid feeling cramped in a smaller room, we suggest the use of flush mounts or semi-flush lights.
As with any room, layering is essential to provide a homely atmosphere. If you have the benefit of natural light a good way to capitalise on this is to have the dining table near the window. Lamps and wall lights are excellent for highlighting architectural features and zone lighting.
Task, Zone & Decorative Value in the Dining Room
The centrepiece of a dining room is, in many cases, the dining table. The ideal height for a ceiling light in the dining room is approximately 3 ft above the top of the table. In order to make sure you get the number and spacing of your pendants right, we have made a pendant sizing guide. If you would prefer a chandelier over your dining table, you can use our guide to sizing a chandelier.
To have the most cohesive design in your dining room it is useful to consider how your lighting will match and scale with your dining table. If you have a rectangular table, suspension or linear lighting works best. The rule of three works very well with rectangular tables. If your table is round or square, pendants or chandeliers are a good choice. Rise and fall lights are excellent if you have limited space as you can adjust them depending on what your dining table is being used for.
Anglepoise Original 1227 Giant Pendant
Although the table is often the highlighted area of a dining room, it is often not the only zone of interest. For example, in the case of an open plan kitchen you may want the lighting of the dining area to be a continuation of the light present elsewhere.
A monorail system is a good choice for the dining room as it can be extended and has great flexibility. Lights come in various different shapes, colours and brightness so another thing to consider is making your lighting match a theme.
Astro Can 50 Track Spot Ceiling Light
Ambient Lighting in the Dining Room
Recessed and wall lighting are perfect for subtly enhancing areas of a room. Dimmers are especially useful for these types of lights in order to set the correct ambience throughout the day.
Astro Ascoli Recessed Ceiling Spotlight
Top Tip
An easy way to prevent glare in lighting is to adjust the fixture so that it covers more of the bulb,
softening the harshness of the light and adding ambience.
Another option that can be utilised in the dining room to create a romantic atmosphere is candlelight. As well as adding a warm glow, if you choose you can get scented candles.
CVL Luminaires Arborescence Large Pendant
Lumens & Colour Temperature
One final thing to consider is the brightness and colour of bulbs in a dining room. Above the dining table, a warm and soft light should be used.
Overall the colour temperature should be between 2400k and 2700k. Warm earth tones will complement this level. If you have dark walls or a dark ceiling, you will need a bulb with a higher wattage. A lumens level of 3000k is recommended if your dining room has cool colours such as purple or blue.
Astro Ginestra 400 Pendant Light – Ceiling Lights | Lightsource
Conclusion
At Lightsource we have options to suit every dining room. If you want to learn more about dining room lighting speak to a member of our team or book a free online consultation with a lighting expert.
