36 Dining Room Lighting Ideas To Light Up Every Celebration

Inspiration to illuminate your dining room.

A gorgeous table and your favorite china may make fabulous entertaining possible in the dining room, but the lights are what set the tone. Place lights on a dimmer for a mood that’s tailor-made every time. Turn the lights on bright to host a light and airy brunch, set them lower to suit a dark and elegant meal, or use ambient lighting to complement natural light flowing through a dining room window. In addition to the light itself, the fixture you choose is just as important for setting your dining room decor ablaze. Go for a discreet lighting strategy or choose a fixture that shines with both light and style. With the right pick, a charming chandelier or pendant light dangling above the middle of the table can act as a centerpiece for the whole room. Don’t take the decision too lightly. Here’s our favorite dining room lighting ideas to use for inspiration.

Geometric

Add pizzazz to a neutral room with a strikingly shaped light fixture. This one makes a strong impact with an angular take on a classic look.

Ambient Lighting

Layer multiple levels of light for the most dynamic lighting that mimics nature. A combination of ceiling lights, lamps, and sconces should do the trick.

Lantern-Like

A sleek lantern light will always warm our Modern Farmhouse-loving hearts. Unlike a royal chandelier, this style of fixture suits both formal and more casual occasions.

Match Metals

While we support mixing metals at home, a matching metallic ignites consistency, drawing a pleasant connection through the room. Unlacquered brass is a popular choice right now for stylish and shiny details and finishings.

Stay On Theme

Take cues from the rest of the room so that your light fixture doesn't seem out of place. Choose similar materials, color families, and motifs to tie in the space.

Simply The Best

Ornate details can be pleasantly eye-catching, but sometimes you just can't meet a simple, classic light fixture. One like this adds beauty to the room without becoming a focal point that distracts from other lovely elements like wall art or the centerpiece.

Disco Darling

A disco ball hanging above your dining room table is a bold statement, but a light disco ball-inspired fixture can be both fun and classy. With a stunning disco-esque light, this Florida dining room makes us want to boogie.

Shaded Chandelier

Shaded sconces are a classic Southern design move. A shaded chandelier is equally lovely and gives you extra opportunity to incorporate pretty fabrics for your shades.

Traditional

Decorate a lovely, old-school dining room complete with your best silver, meaningful antiques, and a stunning, traditional chandelier. One like this has just the right amount of flourish that takes us pleasantly back in time.

Monotone

If your dining room is already maxed out on color, a monochromatic light fixture may be up your alley. Opt for white or another neutral to make a statement without the risk of clashing.

Long Lines

Rather than a single, drop-style fixture, choose a light that covers a larger expanse like a series of fixtures or one long pendant. This looks especially lovely parallel to a long, rectangular dining table.

Statement Piece

If you're going to hang something from the ceiling, you may as well make it something good. Choose something interesting on the eyes as a standout piece of your dining room decor.

Twin Flames

Double the fixtures means double the beauty. The stunning matching set of hanging lights looks gorgous over a long table.

Wood

Rather than a metal fixture, experiment with other materials. Here, a wood-filled dining room stuns with an equally woody light fixture.

Draped Effect

Create interesting silhouettes through a swooping set of ornaments on your light fixture. Whether it's draped with crystals, metal, or another material, your light is sure to draw eyes and inspire compliments.

Larger Than Life Bulbs

This whimsical fixture resembles balloons, so dinner always feels like a celebration. It's a fun take a classic, multi-bulbed fixture.

Coastal Cues

Add easy-going charm to your dining room with nods to the shore. This one holds no bars and is draped in seashells, but more subtle coastal cues through motifs like a blue and white color scheme or driftwood-inspired fraying can be charming, as well.

Industrial Chic

Simple and sleek, a pseudo-industrial light fixture makes a statement without too much flair or any extravagance. It's just the thing to top off this airy, minimalist dining room.

Coordinate Color

Connect both sources of light in your dining room—the window and the light fixture—through a common color. Match hints of hues in your chandelier to your window treatment for a playful but put-together pop.

Glitz And Glamor

A formal dining room must be dressed in its best from floor to ceiling. Complement fine china, heirloom silver, and Grandma's crystal with an elegant and ornate light fixture dripping with jewels and glittering with shine.

Natural Beauty

Incorporate natural materials and shapes into your light fixture like this stunning branch sculpture. It perfectly ties in the whole dining room that is full of wood tones and neutral nature.

Layered Lights

Rather than just one row of candlelight, this light fixture dares to be bold. Multiple layers create a dynamic source of cascading light that emphasize the striking height of the tall ceiling.

Unexpected Silhouettes

This good-looking dining room would have shone bright with any manner of light, but instead, the homeowners took this room one step further. A marvelous fixture reminiscent of seaweed elevates the room to new heights.

Asymmetry

A simple silhouette can be spiced up by a touch of asymmetry like in this awesome light fixture. It's a subtle statement that centers the room over the large rectangular bleach wood table.

Low Hanging Fruit

If space permits, a glorious hanging light can look incredible descending from a high ceiling just over the dining table. The chandelier in our 2022 Idea House is an ornate and jewelry-like centerpiece.

Curved Edges

Invest in an intriguing shape for your chandelier. Here, rounded sides enhance the intrigue and style of the fixture.

Dripping With Crystals

A shining chandelier speckled with crystals is a classic addition to the dining room. It's glamorous, charming, and will effortlessly match your set of crystal glasses on the table.

All Of The Above

Crystals and shades and candles—oh my! Include all of your favorite elements and the kitchen sink in your fixture to keep it interesting.

Pitch Black Light

Black is a grounding color that adds a chic edge to any room it graces. Hanging from the ceiling, this black fixture is calming, sophisticated, and a strong touch to center the space over a round table.

Glass Galore

These lights in JoAnna Garcia Swisher's dining area have a strong presence without interrupting the flow of her open concept home. On or off, these shimmering fixtures shine brightly and elegantly.

Whimsical

Texture is the trick to this appealing light's fantastical charm. Fun and feminine, this light fixture would be the star of any room—even one as stunning as this dining area.

Oversized

Those lucky enough to have high ceilings simply must take advantage of the opportunity to hang a large and in charge light fixture. The sky is the limit!

Stained Glass

This handsome light fixture features a pop of blue and wields light beautifully. Light shining in this dining room sparkles with color from the dazzling stained glass fixture, dancing across every surface thanks to its rugged texture.

Light And Airy

A room with lots of natural light requires a fixture that won't block out the rays. Interestingly woven yet breezily translucent, this light fixture is strong but not heavy-looking.

Sputnik

Instantly transform your dining room into a Mid-Century Modern oasis by hanging a Sputnik chandelier. Clean lines, a dynamic configuration, and round bulbs add up to a funky but polished look that will light up the room.

Go the Distance

The right light fixture is worth driving for. Designer Ashley Hanley unexpectedly scored this crystal chandelier in an online auction—then had to drive from Richmond, Virginia, to Philadelphia to pick it up. Given the sparkling elegance it adds to the space, safe to say what she called a "nerve-wracking drive" was worth it.

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Read the original article on Southern Living.