Dining Room Lighting Tips

You may only use your dining room as a formal dining space on special occasions, but you do use the room for other purposes throughout the week. It may be where you sit down to do the family bookkeeping, or it might be where the kids do their homework on a nightly basis. Whatever the case may be, it’s important to have the proper dining room lighting for every need. At Hortons Home Lighting, we can help you discover new chandeliers, wall sconces, track lighting and more for your dining room. Visit one of our showrooms today to get started!

Choosing A New Chandelier

Dining room lighting often begins with the chandelier, and for good reason. This central hanging fixture is the focal point of the room, and it can set the tone for how the rest of the space is designed and decorated. When shopping for a new chandelier, there are two things to keep in mind — what size of fixture you need and how high above the table it will hang.

Sizing The Chandelier

As for the size of your new chandelier, you’ll want to begin with measuring the length and width of your dining room. If the room is on the smaller side, such as 10 feet by 10 feet, then you’ll probably want a light that’s approximately 17 to 20 inches wide. The bigger the dining room, the bigger the chandelier can be, but you don’t want the light fixture to seem too big for the space. It’s important to leave some clearance between the edge of the chandelier and the dining room walls.

You’ll also want to consider the size and shape of your dining room table when choosing a new chandelier. If you have a long, narrow table, then a round light fixture may not be the best choice. You can go with a linear chandelier or pendant light instead, which will keep the fixture from hanging too far over the edge of the table.

Hanging The Chandelier

No matter which chandelier you choose, you’ll want to ensure that it’s hung at the appropriate height above the table. You’ll have to take the height of the dining room ceiling into consideration when hanging the light. Once it’s in place, there should be approximately 30 to 34 inches between the top of the table and the bottom of the chandelier. This is to remove the risk of the chandelier hanging too low and obstructing a person’s vision when they’re seated at the table and attempting to speak with someone across from them.

If you have a tall ceiling in the dining room, such as one that is 10 feet or higher, you can raise the chandelier 3 inches for every foot of ceiling height. This will help position the fixture in the perfect spot, instead of it looking like it’s hanging too low in the room. It will also help with the spread of ambient light the chandelier provides for the dining space.

Accent Lighting Options

Once you’ve chosen the perfect dining room chandelier, you can move to selecting the right accent lighting options. The layout and configuration of your dining space will inform what type of accent lights to go with, and if you’re not sure where to begin, our team can help.

Wall sconces are often a popular choice for dining rooms, as they provide lighting for the middle and lower sections of the room, helping the space feel more intimate. You’ll need to be mindful of where you place the sconces, since you don’t want anyone accidentally running into them as they make their way to their seat at the table.

Sconces can also be placed in the corners of the dining room to illuminate those spots that might otherwise appear too dark or dim. For rooms with standard ceilings, having the sconces cast light upwards can make the space feel bigger. You can also go with sconces that shine both upwards and downwards, adding more accent light to the walls and creating the perfect atmosphere for entertaining.

If you’re going to hang any artwork in the dining room, then track lighting might be a good addition to your design. Track lights can be moved and positioned to highlight paintings or photographs, and you can show off a favorite piece of artwork whenever you have guests for dinner. You’ll want to be sure the track lights don’t detract from the ambience of the room, or that they’re too close to the chandelier.

Dining Room Lighting Controls

Every dining room needs the right lighting controls, and by implementing dimmer switches and lighting presets, you can make your lights much more versatile. Dimmers are a must for the chandelier and sconces, giving you the ability to raise or lower the lights based on the time of day, mood, or desired atmosphere. It’s best to place each light on its own dimmer, so that you have complete control over the settings.

If you’re someone who’s interested in smart home lighting and lighting presets, then the dining room is a great place to start. You can program the presets to have different themes for dinner parties, bookkeeping, and more. You can also control your lights from your phone or through voice commands, making it easy to adjust the lights as you’re setting the table or when you’re trying to get dinner ready before guests arrive.

Choosing Your Lighting Style

There are a number of lighting styles to choose from, and our team can explain the features and benefits of each one. If you’re naturally drawn to one style, such as Rustic or Art Deco, we can show you what fixtures we have in stock that fit within that style. You’ll also want to consider the lighting in the rest of your home and how your new dining room light will complement or contrast it. It’s perfectly acceptable to have a different lighting style in your dining room when compared to the rest of the house!

Find Your New Dining Room Lighting

If you’re thinking about updating your dining room lighting, then let Hortons help you find the perfect options. You can look through our online catalog for chandeliers and wall sconces, and we know you’ll find inspiration and ideas for your home. No matter what your timeline or budget is, we can show you what we have in stock and answer all of your questions regarding design, installation, and more.

You can also visit one of our showroom locations to speak with one of our lighting experts, who can take your ideas and turn them into reality. When you’re in the showroom, you can see certain lights for yourself and get a sense of what they would look like in your home. We’ll help you narrow down your choices so that you leave with the perfect lights and the confidence that they’ll look amazing in your dining room.