DINING ROOM: INTRODUCTION
Dining room lighting is of paramount importance in creating a welcoming and convivial environment. Choosing the right type of lighting and the right lamps is the first step towards creating a unique dining room. Often during the planning phase, no particular attention is paid to the position of the light points or even to the idea of what kind of lighting you want to have. As a result, you are often faced with unforeseen situations.
HOW TO ILLUMINATE THE DINING ROOM
Speaking of lighting, it is necessary to make a small clarification on the existing types of light. There are mainly two types of lighting: spot, or direct, and soft, or indirect. It can be recreated, for example, by lowering the ceiling in plasterboard and applying LEDs facing upwards. This is a solution for soft and even lighting of the dining room.
To properly illuminate the dining table, we can combine the two types of lighting. We can provide our dining room with a punctual light, for example with a pendant lamp above the dining table, and a general soft light recreated with a wall light or with the plasterboard system seen before. Or we can use a type of lighting with a dimmer that allows us to adjust the intensity of the light as needed. Providing for the two types of lighting is crucial, both for those who use the table only for meals, but also for those who use it as a study.
However, it is good to dispel a myth: the dining room and the table in particular must be well lit not to tire the eyes and to allow diners to better enjoy the dishes. The ability to control scattered light and point light separately is also of fundamental importance. As long as we are eating we can leave all the lights on, but when we are chatting at the dining table we can turn off the direct light and leave only the indirect light on. This recreates a more relaxed environment for conversation.
TYPES OF LIGHTING
Up to now we have for convenience talked about chandelier. There are, however, different types of solutions on the market, ranging from ceiling spotlights to directional spotlights to floor lamps.
When we talk about spotlights we can refer to those embedded in the ceiling. In this case, careful planning is essential because connections must be made during renovation or construction. It is important to properly divide their position in the ceiling to avoid the risk of finding shady or poorly lit areas in the dining room.
If you can’t give up the convenience of directional spotlights, but can no longer fit them into the ceiling, you can resort to choosing a chandelier with directional spotlights. They are undoubtedly a really convenient solution, because depending on the direction they are given, they create a different ambience and atmosphere. As seen above they are also ideal for when you have an extendable table.
An often overlooked solution is to use a floor lamp. It is undoubtedly a different way to light the table than normal. For this to work, however, the structure of the lamp needs to be slim and unobtrusive to ensure that guests can move freely around the table.
And how did you light up your dining room?
LIGHT AND TABLE
Choice of lamp according to the shape of the table. When you have to choose lighting for the dining room, it is important to consider the shape of the table. If you have a round or oval-shaped table, a lamp with a round shade will add a stylish touch to your dining room, creating a striking effect: everything will look aligned and the table will complement each other with the lamp. Conversely, if you have a square table, a pendant lamp with several wires is recommended. Also, you need to consider the size of the lamp because if you choose a lamp that is too small with only one shade or a ceiling light, the result might look strange.
Regarding the number of lights or lampshades above the table in the dining room, you should always take into consideration the size of the table. For larger tables, light with only one shade may not be enough. If, for example, you were sitting at a table with several people, not all of them would be able to see the food on their plates. For larger tables it is recommended to use lamps with more light sources. As for the number of lampshades, it is usually better to choose a lamp with an odd number of lampshades. However, this is not a rule of course.
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Finally, if you need personalized guidance on organizing your dining room lighting, email valeriadesign@casaomnia.it! Also check out alternative solutions of kitchen-integrated dining rooms or open kitchens.