Dining Room Lighting

If you’re puzzling over how to properly light your dining room, designer Harvey Wise and lighting expert, Mark of Union Lighting & Furnishings, have some guidance for you!

Chandeliers 101.

Chandeliers are the epitome of dining room lighting. These versatile lighting fixtures should be the focal point of your space. When picking such a large statement piece for your room, you want to be sure you’re making a well-informed decision. A little trick: take the sum of the width and height (of feet) of your room, convert it to inches, and that (in inches) should be the size of your chandelier. The height of your fixture will depend on the overall scale of your room as well as your dining table. Try to keep your chandelier at least 30 inches above the surface of the table.

Make your lighting adjustable.

Pin spots, sometimes called host and hostess lights, allow you to dim your chandeliers. Pin spots can dim your lightings to a comfortable level, while increasing it ,can highlight your crystal or tableware. LED recess fixtures and subtle buffet lamps are good for general, ambient lighting.

How much is too much?

How much lighting you should utilize in a room depends on the scale of your dining area. A well-lit room will be more inviting to guests, so ideally you want a generous mix of all three lighting layers.