Your dining room is a gathering area, a location for family bonding, a place for heartfelt conversation and a center for entertaining guests - which is why a few creative lighting choices can enhance this important room. Whether you're serving a large holiday meal or simply hosting friends over for a couple of rounds of Monopoly, the dining room is the perfect place to congregate. The lighting situation in the dining room plays a pivotal role in the mood you'd like to convey. From dimly mysterious and romantic to vivid, bright and lively, your options for creative lighting are numerous. Try some of the following lighting ideas to add some flair and personality to your dining room.
Other than the table itself, nothing defines the dining space more than a chandelier that floats elegantly above it. Depending on the layout of your dining room, it is usually best to hang your chandelier over the center of the room for maximum light coverage. For high, vaunted ceilings, consider a multiple-tier fixture that fills out the open space.
Consider accenting the ceiling and window trim in your dining room with the twinkling pizzazz of stringed holiday lights. The hundreds of tiny bulbs work in concert to create a soft, glowing ambiance at any time of the year, and work well to highlight areas of the room that might otherwise be overlooked. Make sure to select lights that have a wire color that closely resembles the paint scheme in your dining room.
Well-placed candles emanate romance and class. If you have a mantle, consider lining several candles together in a neatly placed row. Place a mirror on the wall behind them to double the light output. If you have a smaller dining table, place a candle in the middle. When lit, it serves as a charming centerpiece. For safety, remember to extinguish lit candles before leaving the dining room.