How To Light Your Dining Room & Kitchen
See our favorite dining room lighting ideas and kitchen lighting ideas.
Coordinate and Complement
- For round tables, consider a round pendant or pendant group.
- For rectangular tables, consider a row of pendants, or two round pendants side by side.
- Look for lighting that shares a material or color with your table.
Measure Your Table
- Choose dining room lighting fixtures that are about 12 inches smaller than the width of your table.
- The bottom of a dining room pendant should be 28 to 34 inches above the table.
Layer Your Lighting
- Dining rooms often look best with one overhead light source plus two to four eye-level light sources.
- Add another layer of lighting with dining room sconces.
Design Tip:
Dimmable lights above your kitchen island or dining table can make the surface brighter for projects or dimmer for meals.
Measure and Plan Your Kitchen
- Hang kitchen lighting fixtures 30 to 36 inches above a counter or kitchen island.
- To avoid unwanted shadows, make sure to provide space between ceiling-recessed lighting and pendants.
Layer Your Kitchen Lighting
- We love the look of a small table lamp on top of a kitchen countertop.
- If you don't have overhead lighting in your kitchen or want more light, consider adding a flush mount ceiling fixture.
- Embrace the drama by using eye-catching lighting fixtures above your sink or kitchen island.
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