Five creative ways to use dining lighting in your kitchen

Lighting ideas

If your kitchen doubles up as a dining room, effective lighting is essential to create mood and atmosphere while eating.

Many modern kitchens serve multiple purposes – cooking, working, dining and socialising – but with cleverly placed lighting, you can make the dining area a feature of the room; a place to relax and indulge, away from food preparation.

Kitchen lighting should be as flexible as possible. The key is to zone your lighting to separate each area of the room according to use. Each light should serve a function – used together, the kitchen will be bright and fully illuminated, but used individually, you can create ambience and focus for the dining area.

Ceiling spotlights

1Ceiling spotlights

Multiple ceiling lights are useful for when you need a room to be comprehensively lit, and if installed in zones, dining and cooking areas can be turned on at separate times – illuminating the dining table and hiding any food preparation areas with temporary darkness. A great way to create atmosphere while entertaining guests.

Pendants

2Pendants

To combine style and light at your dining table, try low-hanging pendant lights that will help to set the mood and make a design statement.

So long as you don't use high-wattage bulbs, the soft light should create a pleasing atmosphere.

3Chandeliers

If your central kitchen dining area needs a focal point, draw eyes to the table with a chandelier.

Although eye catching in design, chandeliers don't suit every room so carefully measure the space you have available to ensure the lighting doesn't dominate.

If space allows, install the chandelier in the very centre of the table to avoid it unbalancing the room.

Table, floor and wall lamps

4Table, floor and wall lamps

A lamp creates delicate lighting ideal for dining, or cooking in a particular area.

If you're limited on space, a wall light can illuminate your kitchen area from above, while a floor lamp can be tucked along the dining room, with its light spilling onto to nearby dining table.

If space allows and you have a suitable worktop close by, consider opting for a table lamp to double up as a light and an ornament.

Uplights and downlights

5Uplights and downlights

Use feature lighting – such as uplights that literally throw light upward – to illuminate shelves or decorative objects surrounding the dining area.

Installing downlights, which do the opposite, will add a subtle ambience, ideal for switching from food preparation to dining and entertaining.

With an extensive selection of styles and colours to choose from at Wren Kitchens showrooms, you can be sure to find lighting that suits your design style and your lifestyle needs.

By using well-placed, intelligent lighting solutions, you can change the entire mood and feel of your kitchen and any adjoining or shared dining space.