Lighting for dining

• How to plan your kitchen lighting
• Work lighting
• Lighting for dining
• Mood lighting
• Ambient lighting

Open-plan kitchens with a dining area or those with a breakfast bar need a combination of adequate lighting for eating, with softer lighting for after-dinner conversation. Dining tables and island units will benefit from a series of overhead pendant lamps (rise-and-fall versions can be moved up or down when needed) while lamps and wall lights will create a warm glow that sets the mood.

Giuliano Digilio from the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) recommends that dining areas feature warm white LEDs to create atmosphere while entertaining. ‘Cool white might just be too much,' he says. ‘I would suggest fitting LED downlighters or surface-mounted spotlights for these areas in a warm white colour to provide a relaxed ambience.'

Hugo Tugman, founder of Architect Your Home, explains the importance of considering how the lighting in each zone will affect the adjacent areas in an open-plan layout. ‘It's no good creating a lovely mood setting in the dining area if it's ruined by bright light from the kitchen,' he says. ‘Part of the solution lies in lighting control - systems that allow you to switch between pre-set arrangements of lights for different situations. This allows you to have one setting for dining, another for parties, one for cleaning and so on.'

Chosen by Beautiful Kitchens