Tips & ideas  /  May 2021

How to choose dining room lighting with wooden pendant lamps

A dining room is, for many people, one of the most important rooms in the house. It is where families gather every day to enjoy a nice meal and converse. It is where friends and relatives connect to share a bottle of wine and reminisce about old times. It is where children do their homework and where boardgames are played. The dining room is the heart of many homes. When thinking about the lighting design of the dining room it is important to consider the different functions of the room and what types of moods and ambiances are desired.

Firstly, let’s talk about the main attraction in the dining room, the dining table. The lamps that go above the dining table are extremely important as they create the main lighting for the seating area. The clean wooden Scandinavian design of Secto Design lamps combines well with many different spaces and styles.

A dining room with a white chair and a red children’s chair by the table. The Aspiro pendant lamp is hanging over the table.

The dining room is the heart of many homes.

The number of lamps needed to light up the dining table mainly depends on the size of the table and how many chairs are around it. As a rule of thumb, a regular size table for four people will need one pendant lamp to suffice the lighting needs. However, this is just a guideline for the minimum amount of lighting required. With Secto Design pendant lamps the choices are endless. An option is to have several of the same model and hang them in a row or why not combine different shapes and sizes and create a cluster lamps above the table. For example, combining Petite pendant lamps (not available in North America) together with Kontro pendant lamps can really enhance the look in the room. Or why not take the classic Octo pendant and hang several in a straight row.

A long dining table with three Octo pendant lamps hanging above. Two of them in walnut veneer and one in birch.

Casa Branca in São Paulo, Brazil. Architecture by MK27.

With thirteen different Secto Design pendant lamp models and four finishes the options are countless:

  • one pendant lamp as a focus point
  • two similar lamps above the table
  • a longer row of similar pendants 
  • a row of different pendants
  • a cluster of pendants.

In the end, it comes down to personal taste in design and the specific lighting requirements for the space. For guidance in the choice of lamps for the dining room, use the Mix and Match - tool (not available in North America) to see how different pendant lamps look like together in different colors and positions. Also the community site #sectodesign and our image gallery are full of ideas and inspiration.

A white dining table with six chairs and three Atto pendant lamps hanging above.

Atto pendant lamps create an inviting atmosphere.

In addition to the lighting above the dining table there often is a need for more lighting also around the dining room. Wall and floor lamps are great for adding an additional layer of lighting to the room that provides a subtle warm glow resemblant to candlelight. For example, if there is a chest of drawers in the dining room, a pair of wall lamps hung above it could really add a nice touch. Floor lamps in the dining room also contribute to a warm and inviting ambiance. Using these different types of lamps together, an entire look can be created which helps to pull the whole room together.

It is not only the lamps but also the light the lamps give that creates an ideal dining room ambiance. One thing that nobody wants in a dining room is a glare where the light from the lamps is just too bright and overwhelming. Secto Design lamps are all designed to eliminate this glare by making sure that the actual light source itself is hidden behind the wooden structure of the lamps. Dimmers are a practical solution for flexible lighting options if different tasks are performed at the dining table. With dimmers, a romantic dining experience can be had, but also more light-required tasks can be performed around the same table.