Above Your Dining Table

I think of all the rooms in the house, dining room which is least expected to have multiple functionality is expected to host formal parties, be a work zone for crafts and schoolwork, a place for informal meetings and so on. Lighting, seating, table and accessories are all equally important to make this happen. In this page, I wanted to share my thoughts on just one aspect, lighting -- what goes above your dining table.
There are so many lighting choices -- pendants, drums, chandeliers, recess lighting... how do you narrow down them down? I personally lean towards contemporary lighting, but no matter what you pick, certain rules apply to all light fixtures that go above your dining table.

• Dining table should get direct lighting, but this light should not be harsh. Bright lighting can make your food look unappetizing.  Dimmer is a must to create different shades of light -- from romantic to formal to task lighting.
• Get a light fixture that scales to the table and to the room. Rule of thumb is to get a light fixture that is half the width or diameter of the table itself. If you want to hang two chandeliers above a long table, pick two that are 1/3rd the size of the table each and center them on each end leaving 1/3rd in the middle open.
• Hang it approximately 30-34" above the center of the dining table assuming you have an 8 feet ceiling. You definitely don't want it too low that it blocks the view across, and not too high where the light fixture gets lost in the room.
• There should not be any exposed bulbs.

Ultimately, your light fixture should just not be functional but it should draw the eye up.  We have the first one you see here.. but I just wish I could rotate between the rest :)