Tips & ideas  /  September 2021

How to create the perfect restaurant lighting with wooden lamps

Designing a restaurant or bar interior is critical to its success. It is not only the first thing customers see when they walk through the door, but it is also a determining factor in how long they will actually stay. The color of the room and the choice of the table and chairs is, of course, of high importance but what really sets the mood in a restaurant is the lighting. The lighting creates the ambience in the room, sets the level of intimacy and creates the desire to linger with a loved one over one more glass of wine before leaving.

A restaurant with black laminated Octo pendant lamps over the tables.

In restaurants and bars, adding different layers of lighting to the room can really improve the ambience and also give flexibility. Restaurant pendant lighting with any of the thirteen different Secto Design pendant lamp models with four choices of finishes will create a great atmosphere. Some of the options are:

  • one pendant lamp as a single focal point above a dining table

  • two similar pendants above a slightly larger table

  • a longer row of similar pendants hung above a bar for an elegant display of lighting

  • a row of different pendants for a stronger visual effect

  • a cluster of pendants hung at different heights to allow for playfulness in the way the light beams hit the surfaces

Owalo pendant lamps over a black bar and yellow chairs in front of it.

By adding designer wall lights to the walls that shine discreetly, either upwards or downwards, another layer of depth and coziness is added to the room. The wall lamps also work well around bars, providing a subtle background glow perfectly suited for cocktail hours. Secto Design wooden floor lamps can also be added around lower seating areas, for example, sofas and lounge chairs.

It is also important to be able to change the level of brightness in a restaurant. Brighter light is needed for preparation work and during lunch hours whereas less light is needed during dinner service or at a bar. If a DALI system is installed, all lights can be adjusted according to the brightness levels needed and the whole atmosphere of the space can be changed in a few seconds. Most Secto Design lamps are attachable to DALI systems. The choice of the actual light bulbs is also important in areas where food and drinks are involved. Customers will most likely enjoy the food and drinks more if the lighting shows the true color of them. Light bulbs with an appropriate level of CRI will do this.

A collection of natural birch Secto Design pendant lamps over a long dining table.

Secto Design, with its collection of timeless Scandinavian design lamps, has found its way into many restaurants and bars over the years. The variety in color, size and shape allows designers and architects to easily find a solution that is both visually pleasing and practical. Updating the lighting in a restaurant or bar is also a great way to change the entire look without having to purchase new tables and chairs. The options for designing a restaurant or bar with Secto Design lamps are vast and the Mix and Match tool can be useful to help visualize how different ways of combining the models will look.