The Lighting Blog

Enjoy having dinner parties? Make the moment memorable with beautiful table settings, personalized table mats and a glowing room complete with a beautiful chandelier or pendant light. What things should you look for in dinning room lighting?

The American Lighting Association offers the following tips for lighting a delightful dining room.

FIRST STEP: A chandelier in the middle of the room defines the space. Choose that fixture first, then work out with accent lights.

Tavern IX Chandelier

HANGING AROUND: Choose a chandelier with a diameter 12″ less than the width of the table. The bottom of the chandelier should be 30″ above table.

TALL ORDERS: For ceilings nine feet or higher, consider a two-tier style chandelier to fill the space from the fixture’s top to the ceiling.

Ascension Two-Tier Chandelier

DIMMER SHIMMER: Always use a dimmer on dining room lights.

GET SMART: So-called “smart” dimmers, driven by microprocessors offer convenience. “When you have several layers of light, smart dimmers can be set to various ambiences. Press one button for dining, another for lighting up homework, another for party-time.

Fiona Pendant

THE LAYERED LOOK: Use multiple layers of light in the dining room. Chandeliers provide the central focus. Accent lights on either side of the chandelier and at the room’s perimeter brighten things up. Accessory lights on and/or over other furniture pieces fill in the background.

TABLE THIS: Table lamps add a soft, humanizing touch to a dining room. Display them on a buffet or breakfront.

Regents Park Accent Lamp

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