Plus, six other dining room lighting ideas for instant atmosphere, according to designers.
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Welcome to Day 3 of VERANDA’s 12 Days of Chicmas. In this series, our editors offer a dozen elegant, uncomplicated upgrades for all your favorite spaces, from front door to master bath (and nope, we didn’t forget the bar). Call it the happier hosting, sleep-like-you’re-on-holiday, serenity-first guide for the year ahead. And did we mention these projects are easy? Give the designer the day off—you’ve got this.
Nothing kills the vibe at a dinner party like bad lighting. And when we say “bad” lighting, we’re pretty much referring to lighting that’s too bright. After all, bright white light is the most unflattering kind—and it’s anything but easy on the eyes.
But even if your dining room lighting is not too bright, you still may be using the wrong light bulbs—especially in your chandelier. With the plethora of size, shape, and wattage options on the market—not to mention the recent ban on the sale of incandescent bulbs—buying light bulbs for optimal dining lighting has become more challenging.
So we turned to four experts—two interior designers, Atlanta-based Mallory Mathison and New York-based Joy Moyler, and two renowned dinner party hosts, New Orleans-based Michael Harold and Quinn Peeper, authors of Classical Shindig—for some answers.
Here, their best dining room lighting tips and tricks.
“If you can see your bulb, in other words if you’re not using a shade, then my absolute favorite is a 25-watt incandescent silk-wrapped bulb,” says Mathison, who recommends never going up in wattage above 25-watt bulbs for chandeliers with eight or more sockets.
The best part? They're under $4—but can totally change the vibe of your room.
“These bulbs give off soft, glowy light,” and the silk-like wrap “conceals the bulb filament, making them more pleasing to the eye.” Mathison notes that while these incandescent bulbs are becoming more difficult to find in brick-and-mortar shops, they are still sold via online sources and specialty lighting stores.
If your dining room chandelier does have shades, Mathison recommends using torpedo 40-watt, 2700K bulbs for their soft white light.
Quinn Peeper, one half of the Classical Shindig duo, prefers skipping shades on chandeliers, particularly antique ones. “With shades, you lose a bit of the opulence and grandeur,” he says. Mathison takes a similar approach, preferring to use shades only on simpler chandeliers that call for a pop of color, texture, or both—and typically not in the dining room.
But if your dining room chandelier does have shades, Peeper suggests lining them in soft pink parchment or silk. “Everybody looks beautiful in light filtered through a pink shade,” he says.
Designers and entertaining experts agree it’s easier to create atmospheric lighting when every fixture on a dimmer. “I like to control the lighting environment as the evening wanes,” says Moyler, who notes she lowers lights even more when serving dessert.
In dining rooms, Mathison even puts lamps on dimmers. “Nothing is prettier than a crystal lamp with a soft silk shade and dimmed light in a dining room,” she says. The key, adds Mathison, is to make sure to purchase dimmable bulbs. “LED bulbs can be finicky on dimmers so make sure to select a dimmable bulb so there is not any flickering.”
To help her clients stay organized, Mathison creates a lighting schedule for the entire home—essentially a spreadsheet that lists every fixture and the correct bulb for it by room.
“Anytime we can take something off of our clients’ to-do list, we jump at the chance,” says Mathison. “The first one was time consuming, but with a template in place it's easy to update for each project.” Mathison laminates the finished schedule, then leaves it in a utility area with extra bulbs labeled by room and fixture.
Visit any Kips Bay Decorator Show House and you’re likely to see the same light switch—a tiny toggle mounted on a brass or acrylic plate—in nearly every room. We’re talking about Forbes & Lomax switches, the designer darling of light operation. “They’ve made the mundane marvelous!” says Mathison. The designer also recommends Lutron switches “engraved with specific fixtures—overhead/sconce/lamp—that consolidate all the ons and offs to one plate.”
For a quick upgrade that won’t require calling an electrician, Moyler recommends replacing light switches with screwless wall plates. “They provide a sleek, polished appearance,” says Moyler, and can be painted or papered over to further disappear into your wall.
These portable beauties have come a long way. “I love battery-operated table lamps,” says Moyler. “These days, they are available in various styles, contemporary and traditional, at multiple price points. Once charged, they will work for hours.”
Some of Moyler’s favorites include those by Thomas O’Brien, Collier Webb, and OKA. Mathison, who recommends the La Grenouille-inspired rechargeable lamps from Houses & Parties, likes to incorporate them into other decorative elements on the table. “Nestle them in garlands, flowers or decorative objects for an extra festive touch,” she says.
“It’s still the best lighting for a dining room, especially,” says Peeper, who uses dripless candles on the table to minimize the mess. “My favorite are beeswax candles for the color. I’m not much for colored candles but will occasionally use them just to change it up,” he adds.
Moyler agrees, noting dripless candles in candelabra add stunning sparkle without ruining tablecloths or tops. Mathison’s own dining room features candlelit sconces. “I light them whenever friends come over to give a warm flicker to the space, even if we aren't eating in the dining room.”
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