6 amazing ways to choose the perfect lighting for your dining room

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Casa de luxo na Barra da Tijuca, Leila Dionizios Arquitetura e Luminotécnica Leila Dionizios Arquitetura e Luminotécnica Modern dining room
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A deliciously designed dining room may not improve the taste of the food, but it will enormously help in having a satisfying dining experience. One of the easiest ways of cheering up your dining space is by having sufficient lighting. A brightly lit room will instantly liven up the mood of all those who frequents this space. Moreover, it will help also help you to maintain a cleaner and healthier space.  

However, choosing the right kind of lighting fixtures for your home may not always prove to be so easy. Today, let us guide you through the process of choosing the best possible lighting for your dining room.

How much illumination do you need?

This may sound a rather simple and innocuous question, but it is actually of paramount importance. First you will have to take note of the volume of your room. Larger spaces will obviously require more lighting. A single pendant lighting fixture on top of the dining table will not be enough to brighten up the entire room!

Then, think about the amount of natural light this space gets in the daytime. What colour scheme do you follow in your dining parlour? The darker the palette, the more illumination would be needed for the room. Dining rooms with higher ceiling heights (more than 3 metres) may need more lighting to illuminate creepy dark corners.

What style to go for?

Follow the existing style of your dining room when making your choice. If it is decorated or about to be decorated in a modern style, choose fixtures that fit the theme. Rustic or traditionally designed homes could opt for handcrafted fixtures made by local artisans. 

Those going for an eclectic scheme may be a little experimental, but your choices must be harmonious to the overall scheme of your room.

How much can you afford to spend?

Nowadays, with open floor plan being in vogue, the dining room often inhabits the same area as the lounge and kitchen. So, additional care is needed for choosing dining room lighting. A statement lighting fixture is very important for this space. But you should not exhaust all your resources in buying a statement piece.

To properly light up a reasonably sized room, you will also require ceiling mounted lighting and a couple of trendy table lamps on top of your dining room dressers. You may also need wall mounted sconces or floor lamps to drive away any residual gloom. Emma Hooton Ltd used pendant lighting, ceiling mounted fixtures, table and floor lamps to decorate this dining room—it's a perfect of example of exactly what to do!

Colour scheme

This is an oft-ignored aspect of choosing perfect lighting for any space. There is no need to go neutral here. Choose colours that are suited to the ambience and enjoy dining in a gorgeously decorated space. 

However, you must colour coordinate each of your pieces according to the scheme you have settled for. Or, opt for a single piece in a vibrant shade and complement it with fixtures that have a more neutral look.

Lighting for outdoor dining area

Buying lighting fixtures for a stylish dining space on your balcony, patio or garden? Then take care of these factors. If you have an open terrace, uncovered gazebo or pergola then choose fixtures that are rated UL (Underwriters Laboratory) Wet. These fixtures are capable of withstanding direct rain, ocean sprays and snow.

For partly covered areas where direct contact with water is not possible, invest in UL Damp lighting fixtures. They are capable of withstanding high moisture content in the atmosphere. If it is an expansive space that you are decorating, use recessed, landscape or flood lighting along with more decorative fixtures. Solar lighting will considerably help to bring down the hefty utility bills.

What else to remember?

Use fixtures that come with dimmer functions. LED or CFL lighting fixtures are preferred for both indoor and outdoor dining spaces. Both of these can reduce your electricity bills. Use cool lighting to maintain a soothing interior atmosphere. 

Unless you want to build a particularly dramatic dining room, make minimal use of valance lighting—especially in a small space. It may create an overly theatrical ambience and drain a lot of money—no one wants that. Otherwise, the ceiling really is the limit with your dining room lighting DIYs!

Want to know how to quickly upgrade another room? Learn how to freshen up the interior of your kitchen!

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