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Dining Room Lighting Ideas for a Magazine-Worthy Look

Lighting is the key to gorgeous dining room decor. You may have the most basic furniture set, but if your lighting is spot on, the room will look and feel luxurious or at the very least appear stylish. Light designs constantly evolve to achieve an ever finer balance between functionality and appearance. Following these dining room lighting ideas will help you make your eatery look perfect.

Chandelier Splendor

Chandeliers can seem a bit unapproachable and intimidating, especially if you’re dealing with modern and contemporary decor. But despair not, modern chandeliers are more flexible, and can work in a variety of styles.

Contemporary black dining room with a sputnik chandelier
Contemporary black dining room with a sputnik chandelier via Kate Davidson Design
Sputnik chandelier by Jonathan Adler
Sputnik chandelier by Jonathan Adler via The Imperfectionist blog
Vintage sputnik pendant
Vintage sputnik pendant via House Beautiful
Crystal ship chandelier
Crystal ship chandelier

While crystal chandeliers can add a luxe touch to the room, too intricate pieces may not go well with ascetic or sleek contemporary decor. For the latter, opt for metallic designs or statement ceiling pendants to achieve a more organic look.

Vintage and modern sputnik chandeliers are among the latest trends in lighting, but you can also go for a romantic crystal ship shape, if your decor allows it.

Pendant Lights

Pendant lights are the most versatile lighting fixtures. You can hang them over your kitchen counter, dining table, or anywhere in the house from bath to bedroom. They come in a all kinds of shapes and styles as well as materials.

181 Pendant Lamp by Le Klint
181 Pendant Lamp by Le Klint
6a Brockton House by Cecconi Simone
Moooi Random lights by Cecconi Simone
Balroom XL All Pendant
Ballroom XL All Pendant from Design by Us
Blub Lamps By Fermetti
Blub Lamps By Fermetti
Facette Grande lights
Facette Grande lights
English street lamps
English street lamps via House Beautiful

Colored glass pendants look especially good in minimal white interiors that lack color as do the wooden ones, but the latter create a different dynamic in decor.

Old street lamp-style pendants or industrial lights bring the rustic feel to a modern dining room.

Designer Dining Room Lighting Ideas

You can always rely on a certain aesthetic of designer lights. No matter where you use them, they will look instantly recognizable and stylish. Take Tom Dixon pendants, for instance. They look great no matter the combination or area.

Random Lights by Moooi
Random Lights by Moooi
Copper round pendant by Tom Dixon
Copper round pendant by Tom Dixon via One Kings Lane
Tom Dixon pendants
Tom Dixon pendants via Christopher Elliott
Pleat Box lights
Pleat Box lights by Marset

Similar Pleat Box lights from Marset can add more dynamic to the dining room with their fabric-like shades and various colors.

The designer lights tend to always be featured in interior design magazines, so it can be easier to see how you can work them into your own room.

Cage Lights

Dining room lighting ideas are encompassing a lot of interesting trends. Cage lights are one of those. They come in graphic complexity as well as minimalism, and can stand on their own or be grouped into stylish clusters.

Lamp Zuid Cedille by Froicoise Oostwegel
Lamp Zuid Cedille by Francoise Oostwegel
Modern geometric pendant
Modern geometric pendant from Lawson & Fenning via House Beautiful
Pagoda Coloured Metal Framework Pendant Light with White Fabric Shade
Pagoda Coloured Metal Framework Pendant Light with White Fabric Shade
Wireflow by Vibia
Wireflow by Vibia

Cage lights have many uses, but they will look especially dazzling in a dining room, creating an unexpected dynamic above a simple wooden table.

Wireflow from Vibia looks like an incomplete carcass of a light, and that not only gives it a fresh interesting look but also leaves the area above the table open and airy. Great solution for low ceilings.

Unusual Dining Room Lighting Ideas

Unconventional lights are all the rage now. They can come recycled or made out of fabric. Anything is possible. Experimental designs always take the focus of the decor, so make sure to keep everything else simple.

Anders light by PINCH
Anders light by PINCH
Cumulus Pendant Light
Cumulus Pendant Light via RSDesigns
Modern white pendants
Modern white pendants via House Beautiful
Recycled tube light led pendant light
Recycled tube light pendant

Lighting design has no strict rules, so you can find a lot of unique designer imaginings on the market.

It may be challenging to incorporate those into a completely normal by-the-book interior, but a few other quirky details might just get you there.

Simple Dining Room Lights

Simple doesn’t mean boring. Such lights may just be minimalistically stylish. If your dining room has a feature wall or plenty of wall art, you may not need statement lighting to complete the decor.

Le Klint UnderCover - Medium Acrylic Pendant
Le Klint UnderCover – Medium Acrylic Pendant
Circus 56 Black
Circus 56 Black in a kitchen by Camille Hermand Architectures
Steplight Graypants
Steplight by Graypants
George Nelson lamp
George Nelson’s Saucer lamp via Mindful Closet

George Nelson’s retro futuristic lamps prove that lights don’t have to be overly decorated to make a statement. His Saucer Lamp immediately attracts the eye.

Intricate Dining Room Lighting Ideas

When you are decorating with intricate lighting, you can go either way about it. You can give your pendant or chandelier all the attention or complement it with color accents, creating layers of decor or playing on contrasts.

Bubble pendant
Bubble pendant via House Beautiful
Bubble chandelier
Bubble Invisible chandelier
Agatha light
Agatha light
Windchime shell chandeliers
Wind chime shell chandeliers
Volver by Studio 14 for Terzani
Volver by Studio 14 for Terzani

Volver chandelier looks simply stunning all on its own. And a sleek contemporary table only strengthens its beauty and complexity.

The small bubble pendant (in the top picture) made up of white, clear, and blue baubles is a perfect crowning accent for a blue and white dining area.

Cluster Pendants

Clustered pendants have their own special charm about them. Some are held together at different heights with special bases, while others appear as bouquets of blooms bunched up for a richer look.

Bocci 14 Pendant Chandelier
Bocci 14 Pendant Chandelier
Bocci 28 Hanging Pendant Lights
Bocci 28 Hanging Pendant Lights
Milk Tulip pendants
Milk Tulip pendants by Shakuff
Cosmo Cluster by Vibia
Cosmo Cluster by Vibia

There is a lot of dynamic going on in a clustered pendant, so you can easily replace an old-fashioned chandelier with one to get the same amount of drama.

Long cluster pendants are great for formal dining rooms, while bunched up designs are ideal for round tables.

Contemporary Lighting Fixtures

Contemporary dining room lighting ideas are all about quirky shapes, clear lines, jewelry refinement, and uniqueness. They make statements and attract attention. But they are also functional and bright.

Tribeca Franklin Chandelier
Tribeca Franklin Chandelier
Moooi Dear Ingo light
Moooi Dear Ingo light in apartment by Studio Plan
Vertigo chandelier
Vertigo chandelier via Côté Maison
Armstrong by Kichler
Armstrong by Kichler
Norm 69 XXL Pendant Light
Norm 69 XXL Pendant Light

Just like that you can turn a simple dining set into a separate room/zone that has its own style and character. Besides statement pieces you can have a lot of fun experimenting with light grouping, height asymmetry, and additional decorating.

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