How Can I Warm Up the Light in My Dining Room?
Dining-room light is integral to enjoying food and is a key component in interacting with guests. No one wants to dine in a room where they can't see their food, and, in contrast, harsh or fluorescent-type light makes things, and people, look unappetizing. The goal would be to provide soft directional lighting and also to control ambient light --- available light that comes from all directions --- in order to create a soft, warm effect.
Instructions
A Variety of Light Choices for Your Consideration
1. Assess the lighting situation. Take a photo of the light you currently have or draw a sketch of where the light emanates from --- indicate both artificial light and natural light.
2. Determine what the problem is with your dining room light. For example, "...early dinner parties between 5 and 6 p.m. receive too much light from the windows." This problem would be solved by diffusing the light using sheer window shades, which would bring in a softer light.
3. Install a dimmer switch. Perhaps the light you have is already sufficient but too harsh. A trip to a home improvement store for a dimmer switch and some directions may be all that you need.
4. Place a chandelier over the table. If you have an extremely long dining table you could place two chandeliers over a table and use lower wattage bulbs. Twinkling crystal chandeliers will create light patterns and shine when lit; chandeliers with bowls or globe lighting will be a softer, directed light source.
5. Use sconces. There is a lot of impact as well as a kind of task lighting when sconces are placed flanking a buffet table. Depending on the type and wattage of the bulb, you can play with the light display.
6. Think about a freestanding uplight fixture. A tall lamp that is put into a corner with a light bowl facing upward is basically what an uplight is all about. They are generally highly decorative (see photo), but bounce light off the ceiling for a soft, diffused effect.
7. Choose a lantern for light that can be moved around the room as needed. Lanterns can be glass-sided or paper lanterns similar to Chinese lanterns. The Chinese-type lanterns create more of a glow as the light is cut by the frosted paper shade.
8. Hang picture lights over oil paintings or modern art. They are meant to highlight just the art and the wattage is controlled and very low so as not to damage the piece but the effect is very soft.
9. Directional or task lighting targets the light over a specific area and, in a dining room, that may be a bar area, a buffet, or even inside niches where art or flowers are displayed. Directional light can be cans --- recessed lights --- or even track lights or pendant lights. The light shines on a particular object.
10. Pick candles and candle holders for the softest, most romantic light yet. Think about placing individual candles on each plate (see photo), or group them in threes with the centerpiece. Another very beautiful display for light is to purchase floating candles and place them on top of a water-filled crystal bowl where flowers are also floating.
Tags: , Light Dining, Light Dining Room, light that, over table, task lighting
