Lighting options in Dining area:

The lighting aspect in a dining room is an important aspect overall. We have plenty of options and types of lighting fixtures that can be introduced in the dining area which can completely change the overall look of your dining room.
The light from the fixtures reflects on the cutlery, glasses, plates and the dining table and give an impressive impact.When you are going to install lighting in your dining room, always remember the size and decoration of the room. For creating perfect illumination, you can use layers of light in your dining room. Using layers of light make your meal time pleasing without creating glare in your eyes

Chandeliers:
The first thing which comes to our mind when thinking about the lighting for dining room is chandeliers.
Nowadays we have plenty of options in chandeliers both modern and traditional. Chose your type and style of the same.
They are elegant decorative elements in a dinin room. the distance should be maintained at least 2'6" from the table top to get a good effect.
There are crystal, wrought iron, brass, aluminum and glass chandeliers available in the market. But you should chose the type that goes well with the entire theme and style of your room. DO NOT put very heavy looking ones if the room is a small and compact one. You can even choose according to the dining table shape and colour.

Pendant lights:
If the dining space is small enough for a chandelier why dont you have a set of pendant lights above the dining area?Or it may even be a large single one or else a series of pendants above a long or oval dining table.
When you are going to install lighting in your dining room, always remember the size and decoration of the room. For creating perfect illumination, you can use layers of light in your dining room. Using layers of light make your meal time pleasing without creating glare in your eyes.

Wall Brackets:
Even though there may be a chandelier or pendant lights above the dining table it is always better to have some wall lights in the dining area too for regular use or from practical standpoint.
If there are options of other lightss available in the same room then you can change the mood of the room according to the requirement at times.
We have quite a large number of options presently in wall lights both traditional and modern. Their price ranges from Rs. 150 upto Rs. 1000 per piece. Select your style and try to maintain the same style in the entire house.

Accent Lights:
Introduce accent lights between the ends of the table for dazzling effect. You can also use these lights on the wall in a different manner.. Proper placement of accent lights is necessary to prevent shadows.

Dimmers:
Try to have some dimmer options in the dining room. They help to create different moods by the use of the same light but at different illumination levels. It can be soft romantic lighting added with some candles or bright lighting for family dinners or for formal dinners, a soft pleasing light is usually suitable.

A few points to remember:

• Try to focus some light just towards the dining table.It will reduce the glare from diner's eyes.
• Have some wall brackets etc with some CFLs fitted to them for general or regular use so that they consume much less electricity on a regular basis.
• You can have some spot lights or recessed lights fitted to the crockery unit or on panels to highlight some of your crockery or some nice painting or decorative items.
• Have the chandeliers 2'6" to 3" above the dining table top
• Use dimmers to different moods at different times

The overall concept of lighting in the dining area should be done thoughtfully and carefully to give an overall impact to the entire room and creates a whole mood in the dining experience.

Floor lamps in use:

Floor lamps if used properly matching with the decor and theme of the room can add to the style and grandeur of the room.
There are various styles and floor lamps-some traditional, some contemporary or even some are rustic.

• Pick your own style using them at proper places
• you can have bright light or mellow/soft light and use them at proper places to create different moods of the room.
• We can use dimmers etc to set up the light intensity depending on the mood of the room
• Floor lamps can direct the light either to the floor/to the seating space or even upwards to the ceiling.
• Lamps which focus upwards are used in small rooms at the corners as they help in visually heightening the space.

Nowadays different materials are used for floor lamps:

• handmade paper one is very attractive
• stainless steel ones are sleek and for trendy interiors
• plastic sheet floor lamps
• bamboo or rattan ones give a rustic look. even abstract ones may add to the rustic look.

• crystal ones are also give elegant classic feel
• glass ones are also very unique and stylish
• antique lamps with statuettes are traditional

• wrought iron lamps are also in use.

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Light has effect on colour

• Professional interior designers and colour consultants consider the direction a room faces. Whether it is north, south, east or west, makes a great deal of difference to the choice of colour scheme.
  
• For instance, a bedroom that faces east and receives strong morning light will look very different when next seen late at night in artificial lighting. A west facing room that has a warm glow in the evening can look dull in the mornings. The choice of colour is thus important in all respects.
• Of course, the ideal aspect is not always possible for everyone. City flats may enjoy little naturally available light and be overlooked on all sides.
  
• A north facing room can expect less sun than south or west facing one, but whatever aspect, with clever lighting and colour scheming the interior can be made to feel welcoming and attractive.
• The style of house we live in can also make a great difference to the amount of available light in an interior. A house located in a suburban area with greenery all around may be in a superbly location but have a low ceilings and tiny windows which can make the interior feel dark and gloomy.
  
• Modern homes with spacious open plan interiors and large picture windows will be even more affected by their aspect and seasonal changes. If there is a living room with a patio attached which is used as an additional seating area during sometime of the year and not suitable for some other time, the décor will have to be flexible enough to accommodate the changes.
• For people in doubt over lighting and colour schemes some interior designers suggest to paint a room white before making a final colour choice. This is a good way to observe how changes in natural light affect an interior and helps to make the most of it while choosing a colour scheme.

Diffused even light:
A room in typically diffused northern daylight: shadows are not too strong and the mainly pale neutral colour scheme with colourful accents makes the most of existing light conditions. However at night under artificial light, colours may alter drastically.


Adding light:
A white gloss painted ceiling is a wonderful light reflector and in a dark room can act like a mirror and significantly increase the amount of available light. However, gloss painted surfaces must be perfectly free from paint drips and unsightly cracks and bumps as a high sheen also emphasizes less-than-perfect surfaces!

Matching furnishings
The most usual way to colour match is to look at samples in the daylight. However this does not enable us to judge to judge the effect at home under artificial lighting conditions. Viewing samples under shop lights is also unsatisfactory as they mostly use colour-corrected fluorescent tubes resembling daylight. Neither type of light will give an idea of the average home’s tungsten lighting with its distinctive yellow cast. Carpets and textured fabrics are particularly vulnerable to change from artificial lighting. Synthetic fabrics that match perfectly in daylight may no longer do so under artificial lighting.

Fabric
The effect of artificial lighting on curtains is better seen if a sample meter is pleated and held upright, looking at lampshade fabrics from behind also gives a better idea.

Paint
Window walls will appear darker as they only receive reflected light, ceilings always look darker than walls painted the same colour. It is always better to use a shade lighter than the first choice as when the walls are painted they tend to appear darker than the paint sample on the card.

Carpets
It is better to put some samples on the floor and move them around the room to see how different positions and lighting conditions can affect the colour.