10 Ideas for Divine Dining Table Lighting
Illuminate your home's eating area with one of these atmospheric additions
Laura Wheat
2 November 2017
Houzz UK Contributor. Freelance Journalist and interiors obsessive, newly ensconced in a handsome Edwardian semi on top of a hill.
Houzz UK Contributor. Freelance Journalist and interiors obsessive, newly ensconced... More
Lighting often falls by the wayside when putting together a room, when, in fact, it should be front and centre. Practical yet ambient illumination is most effective when combining several sources – such as lamps, uplights, pendants and spots – with a central control that can dial each of these up or down depending on the required mood. Failing this, a simple duo of ceiling and floor or table lamps will produce easy atmosphere. These 10 spaces deliver divine dining room lighting that’s attractive even when unlit.
Light up a lantern
If your dining room is simply decorated – or you’re a fan of whitewashed, beachy schemes with a dash of black – then a statement lantern light could be your go-to. This linear style mirrors the length of the dining table, while working with the horizontal wooden panelling behind to ground the open-plan space and create intimacy at mealtimes. A jute rug provides a warming, rustic touch: choose one that’s large enough for chairs to be pulled back and still remain within its boundaries.
Soft ways to use LED strips to bring out the beauty of your home
If your dining room is simply decorated – or you’re a fan of whitewashed, beachy schemes with a dash of black – then a statement lantern light could be your go-to. This linear style mirrors the length of the dining table, while working with the horizontal wooden panelling behind to ground the open-plan space and create intimacy at mealtimes. A jute rug provides a warming, rustic touch: choose one that’s large enough for chairs to be pulled back and still remain within its boundaries.
Soft ways to use LED strips to bring out the beauty of your home
Make it midcentury
Scandi-style interiors look best with sleek light fixtures that have a midcentury feel. These prismatic pendants are made of glass, porcelain and cast iron, giving them a substantial, yet unimposing quality. In order to hang your lights low, you need to be certain of the placement of your dining table before fitting. Try marking out your proposed layout using masking tape on the floor to gauge positioning.
Scandi-style interiors look best with sleek light fixtures that have a midcentury feel. These prismatic pendants are made of glass, porcelain and cast iron, giving them a substantial, yet unimposing quality. In order to hang your lights low, you need to be certain of the placement of your dining table before fitting. Try marking out your proposed layout using masking tape on the floor to gauge positioning.
Go large
Could you install a jumbo chandelier? Similar wooden beaded styles to the one pictured require significant ceiling height and a dose of courage, but their tactile shape meshes well with interiors ranging from farmhouse to contemporary. This dining space engages a trio of treats, including rattan chairs, exposed joists and a vintage kilim, that weave in layers of textural interest.
Could you install a jumbo chandelier? Similar wooden beaded styles to the one pictured require significant ceiling height and a dose of courage, but their tactile shape meshes well with interiors ranging from farmhouse to contemporary. This dining space engages a trio of treats, including rattan chairs, exposed joists and a vintage kilim, that weave in layers of textural interest.
Crave characterful accents
Fans of quirky styling with a bit of DIY thrown in may wish to take a leaf out of this dining area design. Glass pendants are placed below a roof window for bauble-like allure. Winding the cables around a horizontal pole allows for bespoke placement and an artfully undone finish.
This type of installation is perfect for bringing character to an extension; cross-back chairs, exposed brick and parquet flooring all add lived-in ambience to a new addition.
Fans of quirky styling with a bit of DIY thrown in may wish to take a leaf out of this dining area design. Glass pendants are placed below a roof window for bauble-like allure. Winding the cables around a horizontal pole allows for bespoke placement and an artfully undone finish.
This type of installation is perfect for bringing character to an extension; cross-back chairs, exposed brick and parquet flooring all add lived-in ambience to a new addition.
Make space
As a material, glass should be top choice whenever you want elegant impact without heaviness. Even small spaces can get away with transparent pendants because they preserve sight lines across the room. These globe-style fixtures bring barely-there illumination to the combined kitchen and dining space without creating visual barriers.
As a material, glass should be top choice whenever you want elegant impact without heaviness. Even small spaces can get away with transparent pendants because they preserve sight lines across the room. These globe-style fixtures bring barely-there illumination to the combined kitchen and dining space without creating visual barriers.
Look beyond the obvious
Those living in cottages or homes with low ceilings could consider options other than hanging fixtures to illuminate their daily dining. This demure space uses both wall lights and spots to provide a highly adjustable lighting scheme. It’s possible to source surface-mounted wall lights with a decorative (exposed) cable if you don’t want to undertake messy building work.
10 wall lights that don’t need wiring in
Those living in cottages or homes with low ceilings could consider options other than hanging fixtures to illuminate their daily dining. This demure space uses both wall lights and spots to provide a highly adjustable lighting scheme. It’s possible to source surface-mounted wall lights with a decorative (exposed) cable if you don’t want to undertake messy building work.
10 wall lights that don’t need wiring in
Pick your palette
This two-tone scheme uses grey and white to striking effect. By sticking to a limited colour palette, the sculptural silhouettes of the Wishbone chairs, tulip table and bell-shaped light become the focus. If you prefer more saturated shades, you could achieve a similar look with other colour combinations, such as navy blue and white, or green and black. Remember to add natural elements for softness.
This two-tone scheme uses grey and white to striking effect. By sticking to a limited colour palette, the sculptural silhouettes of the Wishbone chairs, tulip table and bell-shaped light become the focus. If you prefer more saturated shades, you could achieve a similar look with other colour combinations, such as navy blue and white, or green and black. Remember to add natural elements for softness.
Include elementals
For drama without dark colours or showy sparkle, try a chandelier with an elemental feel. This capiz shell design suits a neutral setting of grey and stone tones; its round shape complements the dining chairs. You could achieve a similar look with a smaller pendant – just match the scale of the light to your table and the room’s overall size.
For drama without dark colours or showy sparkle, try a chandelier with an elemental feel. This capiz shell design suits a neutral setting of grey and stone tones; its round shape complements the dining chairs. You could achieve a similar look with a smaller pendant – just match the scale of the light to your table and the room’s overall size.
Create contrast
If you like to keep your décor pared right back in order to go wild with statement accessories, this dining space is your holy grail. The oversized factory-style fixture could seem overwhelming in a home filled with pattern, but here it punctuates the pale room, drawing all eyes to the dining table. Muted pastel seat pads make the chairs decorative while preserving the room’s utilitarian edge.
If you like to keep your décor pared right back in order to go wild with statement accessories, this dining space is your holy grail. The oversized factory-style fixture could seem overwhelming in a home filled with pattern, but here it punctuates the pale room, drawing all eyes to the dining table. Muted pastel seat pads make the chairs decorative while preserving the room’s utilitarian edge.
Open the crayons
Those who crave colour may wish to investigate this rainbow-hued display. The bright cords and fixtures are eye-catching but a simplistic bulb design maintains a hint of minimalism. You could stick to one colour or choose two or three favourites for a less Crayola-esque, but still vivid impression.
What tips have you used to create a great lighting scheme? Share them – and photos! – in the Comments section.
Those who crave colour may wish to investigate this rainbow-hued display. The bright cords and fixtures are eye-catching but a simplistic bulb design maintains a hint of minimalism. You could stick to one colour or choose two or three favourites for a less Crayola-esque, but still vivid impression.
What tips have you used to create a great lighting scheme? Share them – and photos! – in the Comments section.
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gillianhodson, how about a couple of arco lamps? They are adjustable for height and span and come in different finishes. If originals are to heavy and/or expensive there are plenty of replicas out there with more conventional bases and price tags. A dark colour with copper interior could look very good with dark furnishings or, depending on your colour scheme, there are some vivid yellow shades that look amazing.
Hi gillianhodson, thanks for the photos. I'm not sure that we are in the correct place for a lengthy discourse on your dining room, however I don't know how we can move our conversation to another page. I hope, therefore, that other Howzz readers will bear with me.
I think that the first thing you you need to decide is what is the function of the room to be? From what I can see you have a table and chairs, but also a large unit that seems to be functioning predominantly as a bookcase. I can also see a leather sofa and a TV standing on a unit that looks to be jammed into a corner and is therefore going to be very awkward to access. There are also a couple of guitars on view, and does the door at the foot of the stairs connect to the garage?
Do you use the room for dining on a regular basis? If not, would it be better to convert the room into a reading/TV/music room? Could you shelve out the walls and create a whole lot more storage?
If you want this to be a formal dining room then it would be better to ditch some of the surplus furniture. The large unit could look lovely with some nice crockery on display. If you get rid of the sofa, TV and small cabinet, then you could fit bookshelves in that vacant space, to take up the displaced books if necessary.
Once you decide on how the room is going to be used, then you can start to think in more detail about how to furnish, decorate and light it.
Hope that this will help you to start thinking about the potential of your room!