Summer’s long, easy dinners may have happened mostly outdoors, but as the evenings get shorter, there’s something appealing about bringing everyone back to the dining room. The right lighting can make that transition feel less like a change of season and more like an invitation: lower the lights, set the table and stay awhile.
Start with the chandelier. In a dining room, it is both illumination and architecture—the piece that can set the mood before the first guest arrives. For a rectangular table, a linear fixture can echo its proportions; if a round table is central to your space, a circular or globe-shaped chandelier can create a pleasing visual conversation. As a general guideline, a chandelier should be roughly one-half to two-thirds the width of the table, while linear fixtures can extend farther along its length.
“A dining room is its own world visually,” notes Jaclyn Isaac, owner of Doni Douglas Designs in Avon-by-the-Sea. With that in mind, the room is the perfect place for a fixture with real personality—one that doesn’t necessarily have to match the rest of the house.
Aim for the right height. The ideal distance between the tabletop and the bottom of the chandelier is approximately 30 to 36 inches. That’s high enough to preserve sightlines across the table, but low enough to create an intimate pool of light. And put it on a dimmer. A dining room needs flexibility, from brighter illumination for a dinner party to a softer glow for conversation over coffee and dessert.
Layer in the light. Wall sconces can illuminate artwork, highlight architectural details and add a warm glow that overhead lighting alone can’t provide. Isaac recommends starting with placement rather than the fixture itself: Sconces typically work “best flanking a piece of art, a credenza or a mirror, at roughly eye level—about 60 to 66 inches from the floor,” she says.
Once the location is established, Isaac likes to go vintage. Chairish is her first stop, particularly for mid-century brass, ornate gilded pairs and Murano glass. And don’t overlook a local find: Vintage fixtures can often be rewired, giving a one-of-a-kind piece a new life, she says.
Warm your space. Choose bulbs with a warm color temperature, use dimmers wherever possible and let the light come from more than one source. A chandelier may be the star, but sconces, lamps and even candlelight are what give a dining room its atmosphere.
Because when fall entertaining moves indoors, the goal isn’t simply to see what’s on the table. It’s to make everyone want to stay at it.
For more entertaining ideas, be sure to read The Guide in the latest issue of NJ HOME.