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Dining room lighting: Ideas for a beautiful ambience

14/10/2024

5 min.

A romantic dinner for two, a cosy games evening with the family or an exuberant party with friends - the dining room is the place where life happens.

An intelligent lighting concept at the dining table is part of setting the right mood and creates a pleasant and appropriate atmosphere in a wide variety of situations. What does the perfect dining room lighting look like? You can find ideas and suggestions here.

Contents

Lighting concept in the dining room
Functions Lighting types
Lighting for different situations
Dining table lighting tips

Why the lighting concept in the dining room is so important

It's not called that for nothing: Food is a feast for the eyes. Only when bathed in the right light can food become a perfect delight. One of the reasons for this is that we unconsciously associate colours with certain tastes and aromas. Strong red, for example, with the sweetness of tomatoes or the spiciness of chilli. The right light is therefore a must - and that means Light in a colour temperature of 2,700 to 3,000 K (Kelvin). It accentuates the colours of the food and creates a homely effect.

The second important function of dining room lighting is to create a pleasant ambience. Avoid glare or strong shadows at the dining table. In addition to these functional aspects, the emotional effect is an important factor. Above all, the brightness and the interplay of light sources control the atmosphere - from open and communicative to atmospheric and romantic. That's why it's a good idea to consider different scenarios when planning your dining room lighting.

Types of lighting at the dining table and their functions

A combination of two or more light sources is essential for balanced lighting. Natural light should also be included in the planning of the dining room.

Important aspects in terms of natural light are the furnishing colours and the positioning of the dining table. Example: If the evening sun shines through the window, it is a good idea for the dining table to face the window. This prevents glare for people on one long side and unfavourable shadows from being cast.
Direct light normally comes from a pendant luminaire in the dining room. It illuminates the table surface at a comparatively short distance.
The basic lighting generally brightens the room and softens shadows. It consists, for example, of indirect lighting of the ceiling and/or wall luminaires. Another option for indirect lighting in the dining room is LED lighting behind the TV or LED shelf lighting.

Tip:

However, an additional light is not necessarily required to realise indirect lighting in the dining room. If you are still looking for an idea for dining table lighting, take a look at the BORA Horizon. Its innovative design combines the function of a pendant light and an indirect ceiling light.

The right lighting for different situations

If you have an idea for dining table lighting, it should match the dining situation and have the right effect. In this context, it is advisable to play through various scenarios.

Think, for example, of a dinner with family or a group of friends - there's laughing, eating and talking. For such an open and communicative atmosphere, bright light is recommended. To achieve this, bright ambient lighting is required, which the luminaire above the dining table actively supports with additional lamps or light sources.

Another typical scenario is an atmospheric dinner for two. In this case, the pendant luminaire takes on the main role, while the ambient lighting takes a back seat. The brightness of the dining table lighting can be adjusted as required using a dimmer. This functionality also comes in handy for a romantic candlelit dinner. Without discreet additional lighting, the candlelight often appears a little too gloomy.

Tips for optimal lighting at the dining table

So much for the basics of dining room lighting. Realising ideas for everyday use depends on the details:

For optimum lighting of the dining table, a colour temperature of 2,700 to 3,000 K (Kelvin) is recommended. This corresponds to the light colour warm white. The lower the colour temperature, the warmer the light appears.
In order for the colours of the food to be shown to their best advantage, the light sources must have a colour rendering index (Ra or CRI) of 80 or more.
The exact number of lumens required at the dining table depends on the size and colour of the furniture and the beam characteristics of the light source. In most cases, the luminous flux of the dining table lamp should be approximately between 500 and 800 lumens. This corresponds to the brightness of old incandescent lamps with around 40 to 60 watts.
Dimmable light sources allow you to control the brightness in the dining area as required. This is not only an advantage for the dining table light, but also for general lighting.
Ideally, the dining table is evenly illuminated. This can be achieved with a long table using a linear pendant light or a number of two or three lights.
In general, a lamp height of 55 to 70 cm above the dining table is recommended. If you want to change the distance flexibly, you can do this effortlessly with a height-adjustable luminaire. These include the BORA Horizon in the Move version.