Proper fixtures help light up your world

"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." Edith Wharton (1862-1937), American novelist

Lighting is one of the most important aspects of design. I’ve talked about it many times; you can have the most beautiful furnishings and accessories, but without proper lighting, the design will always fall short.

Homeowners always have questions about styles of lighting, size of fixtures, etc. Let’s look at this latest lighting question from a reader.

"I would like to replace the chandelier in the dining room with a new one. How do I determine the proper size? My table, when fully extended, seats 10. When we aren’t having guests, the table will seat six. The chandelier is centered over the table and is in the center of the room. When I have 10 chairs, only one end of the table has the proper lighting. There is a large china cabinet at the one end of the room, preventing the table to be centered under the chandelier when fully extended. Any suggestions you have will be greatly appreciated."

What a great question. It actually has several parts, each as important as the other.

We’ve all seen bad lighting solutions, and I’m not just talking about the bare bulb. Lighting fixtures can be expensive, so extra care should be taken to ensure the proper size and placement. So just like our reader’s problem, the correct size and placement of a lighting fixture is key to the enjoyment of a particular space.

In her case, I’m assuming that the table is rectangular and probably about 72 inches, which would give us approximately 20 inches per seat, two on each side of the table, and allowing room for table legs, etc. A table that size could accommodate a large fixture or two smaller ones. Since it is opened up for guests, two fixtures would give more light, even for the end encumbered by the china cabinet. One fixture as big as 36 to 40 inches would work, as would two fixtures spaced to allow at least a foot at either end of the table.

To supplement the overhead lighting (which should have dimmers), I also would suggest adding floor lamps on either size of the cabinet. Because of the china cabinet, it’s not a perfect solution, but sizing the fixture correctly will help.

On its Web site, Lamps Plus says this about dining room lighting. "Recessed or track lighting can provide general lighting, as well as enabling you to highlight prized possessions throughout the room. A ring of four recessed downlights around the dining table supplements the light from the chandelier, while providing accent lighting for your tableware. The pure white light of low-voltage fixtures with tungsten-halogen bulbs will make your crystal and silverware sparkle.

"A china cabinet, breakfront, hutch or wall niche can become a showplace for your prized collectibles by installing strips of low-voltage, minicone lights under the shelves."

So, it has addressed our issues and given more options.

Regardless of the size or style of your room, there are perfect lighting solutions. Shop your home-improvement stores, specialty lighting stores or online. It’s easier than you may think to light up your world.

Carolyn Muse Grant is a founder and president of the Architectural & Decorative Arts Society, as well as an interior design consultant/stylist specializing in home staging. Her Inside Spaces column appears weekly in the Home section of the Review-Journal. Send questions to creativemuse@cox.net.