Even if your dining zone is just a modest corner of your kitchen rather than a dedicated room, clever illumination can work wonders.

Ambient lighting here usually consists of a pendant ceiling fitting above the table, either singular or grouped. A riseand- fall pendant can be particularly useful: lower it for soft radiance – perfect for an intimate dinner – or raise it for more practical, everyday activities. Consider your pendant style carefully: clear glass examples will give general ambience, and can work well when paired with frosted bulbs to give a subdued glow, whereas solid shades will act more like downlighters, providing focused areas of brightness.

 

Credit: West Elm (westelm.co.uk)

 

Grouping pendants

• Adding extra outlets for multiple pendants is a job for an electrician – however, it’s not a complicated task for a professional.

• Alternatively, seek out a single hanging light with several drops suspended from one point.

• A long, slim table might work best with evenly placed pendants at the same height, whereas a smaller round unit may better suit two grouped closer to its centre, hung at varying lengths.

 

Credit: Dunelm (dunelm.com)