Illuminating the dining room in an atmospheric yet sufficiently bright way requires a customised and modern lighting concept. The centrepiece - the pendant light above the dining table - is at its most flexible when it is height-adjustable and dimmable. Wall lights and floor lamps are a great option for introducing cosy, indirect lighting to the space. Lighting ideas such as the portable battery-powered lamp as a place setting on the table or LED strips for sideboards and display cabinets add even more ambience.
A dining room without a pendant light? That is difficult to imagine. After all, hardly any other place in the living room benefits from a cosy beam of light as much as the dining area. When it comes to materials, all design facets from wood to glass and textiles come into play. In terms of style, vintage chic and Scandi look are just as popular as the more rustic industrial flair.
Anyone opting for a ceiling light in the dining room is well advised to choose a dimmable model. This means that the room can be brightly lit if required, but also made cosy and homely in no time at all. The shape in harmony with the table is less important for the ceiling light, as the high suspension creates a general illumination of the room rather than a targeted beam of light.
As a creative alternative to a pendant light, the shade of an arched light can be used above the dining table - perfect if there is no ceiling above the dining table at home. In the other areas of the dining room, e.g. next to the sideboard and shelf, floor lamps provide atmospheric additional light and, depending on the model, create exciting eye-catchers. Tip: If you value well-known design pieces, you can set striking accents in the dining room with floor lamps.
Wall lamps as creative lighting ideas in the dining room
Pleasant area lighting is added to the dining room with wall lights. They either tower over the dining table as arc lights or scissor lamps, competing with pendant lights, or they remain in the background as discreet background lighting. A dimming function is obligatory - so it's cosy when friends and families get together for a meal.
A special table requires special lighting. If the diverse designs of the pendant lights aren't pompous enough for you, you can take your time together in the light of a chandelier. The facets range from gold-coloured to black chandeliers. Luxurious models with crystals can also be combined well with the large dining table, as can chandeliers with textiles for cosy country house rooms. Tip: Chandeliers work best as lighting ideas for large rooms.
Placed on the ceiling and wall, spotlights and spotlights can create added value and round off the lighting concept for the dining room modern. Flexibly adjustable shades can not only illuminate paintings, prints and decorations on sideboards and the like, but can also be simply aligned with the walls. In this way, the entire room is bathed in cosy light - ideally with warm white light sources of less than 3,300 Kelvin for living rooms.
Good to know: Lighting tips around the dining table
Height-adjustable … … for more flexibility
The pendant light above the dining table should be hung in such a way that it does not obstruct the view of the person opposite. Flexibly adjustable models with practical cable pull mechanisms can be adjusted in height as required. The higher they hang, the larger and more diffuse the cone of light becomes.
The table shape …… is crucial
If the dining table is to be the centrepiece of the dining room, it is worth taking a look at the shape of the table before buying lamps: for small, round tables, single-flame or smaller, round lights are sufficient. For longer panels, multi-flame or wide luminaires with permanently installed LEDs are the first choice.
Multifunctional …… With practical shelf
We bring a special eye-catcher into the dining room with multifunctional lights - e.g. with a pendant light above the dining table, on which herbs and other green plants can be placed decoratively. Illuminated wall shelves near the table are also a practical option - spices and the like are well stored there.
Tina Ducke
Editor and trend guide atLights.co.uk
Expert tip:
As in any other room, the dining room can also be smartly retrofitted. Simply screw a smart light source into your favourite light and you can enjoy the benefits of intelligent lighting control: from programmed routines with colour changes and colourful accents using the RGBW function to networking with other lights in the room.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions about dining room lighting
What types of dining table lighting are there?
The pendant light is the first choice for the dining table. Because it bathes the cosy place in a pleasant cone of light. This task can also be performed by arched lights whose curved frame extends into the centre of the table. Wall lights with projecting frames can also provide light for the dining table. Another option are track systems that can be fitted with pendant lights above the dining table - with different numbers to suit the shape of the table.
Which lamp is suitable for which table?
For round tables, a single-lamp pendant light above the centre of the table is sufficient. This also applies to small, angular tables. Several pendant lights mounted centrally on a plate and complementing each other at different heights are also well suited to this situation. Multi-flame models are the best choice for longer, rectangular tables and larger tables. This means that the entire surface of the table can be adequately illuminated. An extendable table is ideally matched by an extendable light. A track system with several pendant lights attached to it is also ideal for a larger dining table.
How low should a pendant light hang above the dining table?
It should be noted that the light cone above the dining table becomes larger the higher the luminaire is suspended. In practice, 60 cm from the table top to the lower edge of the pendant light has proven to be ideal. It should also be noted that the pendant light should not stand in the way of eye contact with the person opposite. Also, if it is open at the bottom and not fitted with a head mirror lamp, for example, it should hang low enough so as not to dazzle. A height-adjustable light is practical for all eventualities.
Which light is suitable for dining table lighting?
In terms of light colour, a warm white light colour of <3,300 Kelvin is best suited for the dining area. This creates a cosy and comfortable atmosphere. Lights that are variable in colour temperature are also practical. For example, you can switch to universal white to prepare your tax return.
How bright should the light at the dining table be?
How many lumens should be used for dining table lighting is a matter of taste on the one hand and depends on the nature of the walls and furniture, their colour and surface structure on the other. A very dark interior can therefore tolerate more brightness. As a guide value for a normal table size, e.g. with 6 seats, a brightness of 800-1000 lumens can be assumed. Dimmable light sources are recommended for cosy hours after dinner. This means that the brightness can be individually adjusted depending on the situation.
What needs to be considered in terms of colour rendering for the dining room?
The colour rendering index (CRI for Colour Rendering Index) indicates how natural the colours of an object appear when illuminated. Ra >= 90 for very good colour rendering should definitely be used in the dining room so that the colours of the colourful summer salad do not appear distorted or greyish.
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