Choosing the right dining room furniture for your dining space requires recognition of your design style, research and patience. When you’ve taken the plunge and bought your table and chairs, you’ll likely feel a great sense of relief. But the quest for creating your ideal dining space is far from over. The next step: choosing lighting.

Creating An Inviting Space

You want your dining room to feel warm, and to be a place where guests gather cozily around the dining table and linger over dessert. A key element in creating this inviting ambiance is lighting.

No matter what type of lighting you choose, there are a few things to consider:

• The light fixture over the center of your dining room table should hang between 28-32” from the top of the table to the bottom of the fixture. If it has to be off-center because of space constraints, make sure it’s not in a place where anyone can bump their head!
• Ensure that bare bulbs do not glare down directly onto your dining room table. Another option to keep dining room light soft is to add a dimmer switch to your lighting panel.
• If you choose a hanging light fixture, keep it proportionate to the dining table size. If you have a large dining room table, a large, low-handing chandelier will be a perfect accent. If your dining room table is small, install a smaller light fixture that lies close to the ceiling.

Types of Dining Room Lighting

Chandeliers give your dining room a classic look and play a dual purpose as both a piece of art and a light source. Remember to choose a chandelier with shades that face the ceiling, not the table. If you have a glass or crystal chandelier, also make sure that the bulbs point toward the ceiling. Even with bulbs pointing toward the ceiling, you’ll still notice that chandelier lights give off excessive heat; consider using low-watt light bulbs to combat this problem.

Wall lights, such as sconces, add a soft glow to your walls and are a great way to compensate for low-light areas surrounding your dining room table. Wall-mounted sconces should hang 60-72” (about eye level) above the floor, and should be 8-10 feet apart.

Lamps placed strategically on a buffet add both another light source and a design element to your dining room furniture ensemble. The lamp size needs to be appropriate to the piece of furniture it rests on. For example, don’t put a tall, chunky lamp on top of a piece of sleek, modern furniture; it will look awkward and out of place.