How to Choose the Right Lamp for a Dining Room

Choosing lamps for a dining room is about your style, the room's color palette, the mood you want to create and the kind of light you want in the room during the day and at night. Lamps come in many shapes, sizes, colors, styles and materials. Choosing the right lamp for your dining room can be an extension of yourself and your needs.


Choose Your Style

Step1 Define your style. Is your taste traditional, contemporary, Asian, Spanish, Mexican, English country, Italian, Mediterranean, Swedish, Victorian, vintage retro or one of many other styles?
Step2 Decide if you want a table lamp, floor lamp or a combination.
Step3 Determine the size of the lamp you want. Define your desired width and height.
Step4 Decide on a color for the lamp. Decide on the material for the shade and the body of the lamp.


Evaluate Room's Usage

Step1 Track the traffic patterns in the room.
Step2 Define where the room is lightest and darkest both during the day and at night.
Step3 Decide where you want to put lamps. The buffet, dining table, end table and sideboard are all potential locations.


Choose Lighting Options

Step1 Decide whether the light should be operated with a toggle switch, a dimmer switch or a three-way switch.
Step2 Decide if you want soft and warm or bright and cool light. Use incandescent bulbs for softer light and fluorescent bulbs for cooler light.
Step3 Use halogen bulbs for a high-intensity bright light.

Energy Saving Tips

Free and Low Cost Recommendations

Replace standard incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and save 75% of lighting costs.

Unplug electronics, battery chargers and other equipment when not in use. Taken together, these small items can use as much power as your refrigerator.

Take steps to cut water use such as installing faucet aerators, low-flow showerheads, and low-flush toilets. As much as 19% of California electricity is used to pump, transport and treat water.

A 5° higher setting on your air conditioning thermostat will save about 10% on cooling costs.

Always buy ENERGY STAR qualified appliances and equipment - they're up to 40% more efficient. Find rebates and incentives in your area using our rebate finder.

Turn your water heater down to 120° or the "Normal" setting when home, and to the lowest setting when away. Water heating accounts for about 13% of home energy costs.

Reduce air conditioning costs by using fans, keeping windows and doors shut and closing shades during the day.

Turn off unnecessary lighting and use task or desktop lamps with CFLs instead of overhead lights.

Enable "power management" on all computers and make sure to turn them off at night.

A laptop computer uses up to 90% less energy than bigger desktop models.
When possible, wash clothes in cold water. About 90% of the energy use in a clothes washer goes to water heating.

Run your dishwasher and clothes washer only when fully loaded. Fewer loads reduce energy and water use.

Make sure your dryer's outside vent is clear and clean the lint filter after every load. When shopping for a new dryer look for one with a moisture sensor that automatically shuts off when clothes are dry.

Test for air leaks by holding a lit incense stick next to windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures, attic hatches and other locations where there is a possible air path to the outside. If the smoke stream travels horizontally, you have located an air leak that may need caulking, sealing or weather stripping.