Lighting by room: Dining area

Pull up a chair, have a second helping and stay a while. A dining room with great lighting and an inviting ambiance help friends and family feel welcome.
Although there seem to be several industry ”rules” and guidelines for illuminating your dining area, it is perfectly acceptable to adjust those guidelines to best fit your space.
Choosing your fixtures:

1. For a longer table, use individual pendants to spread light out equally across the dining surface.
2. Pairing a crystal chandelier with patterned wallpaper adds a touch of glamour to a traditional dining area.
3. Neutral paint schemes and simple window treatments call for a fun, textured and patterned chandelier.

Design Tip: Mirrors help eliminate shadows from corners and crystal bounces light around a ceiling.
In the dining room, light changes from one meal to the next. At large holiday gatherings, bright light is essential to match the energy of the room, but for more intimate gatherings, less light works best.

• A matching pair of sconces, hung about head height, cast flattering light onto faces.
• If you choose to just have one light source, make sure the fixture is large enough to supply shadow-banishing illumination.
• For small gatherings, dimmed light from the chandelier and the buffet can provide all the illumination needed.