Dim dining room that would be brighter with recessed lights.
Designing recessed lighting for a dining room requires a close look at how the room will function and the types of lighting that you wish to achieve with your combination of lights. Most dining rooms feature a central chandelier fixture as the main source of lighting. Task lighting is used to highlight artwork or a buffet top, drapes or other features. Recessed ceiling lights can shine straight down for direct light or they can be angled to highlight special features. This makes them an excellent task lighting choice for a dining room light plan.
Instructions
1. Measure the dimensions of your dining room. Transfer the measurements to 1/4-inch graph paper. Be sure to include the location of windows, doors, niches, fireplaces, built-in cabinets, columns and any other feature. Recessed lights should always serve a purpose in a room such as: task lighting, wall washing, accent or artwork. They will always contribute to overall lighting.
2. Note the height of your ceiling and the location of any central light fixture (like one or more chandeliers). Each light fixture casts a range of light. Your light manufacturer can provide you with the amount or radius of light your fixture will provide based on the height of the room. Use a circle template to indicate the primary radiance area of your existing lights.
3. Design your recessed lights in two groups. The first group will be lights that will shine down directly on the table surface. In general, four recessed lights will illuminate an 8-person table if there is no central light fixture. By keeping your recessed lights on a separate circuit this will give you a secondary way to light the room. The four recessed lights should be at the approximate corners of the table.
4. Design a second row of recessed light fixtures for smaller lights that are directional. These lights should highlight artwork, drapes, room features or accents. They may also illuminate a buffet or other type of furniture in larger rooms. You may want to have this second row of lights on more than one circuit to allow you to use two or three at a time rather than all of the lights. This second row should be positioned closer to the walls and the objects they are lighting. Base your optimum distance on the recommendations of the light manufacturer for best illumination of your object at the distance of the fixture. In general, you will want your outer ring of lights to be the same distance from the wall even if the light spacing varies of the individual lights.
5. Select a dimmer switch for each light or a smart light panel that will allow you to control the amount of illumination and the specific fixtures that will be illuminated at any given time or event. Large dining rooms with many features may require a computerized panel to run the system. This panel can be tied into other mechanized features such as hidden bars, mobile draperies and control of heating and air conditioning systems.
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