A modern dining room is not just for formal dinners and special occasions. When decorating the dining room, it’s about creating a beautiful and elegant space that you can use every day. You want the furniture, colors, and lighting to be visually appealing and functional.
The best light color for a dining room is a warm color. This recommendation is especially true if you use the room for entertaining. A warm color sets the mood for lively conversations and radiates a feeling of happiness and general good vibes.
Although some homeowners choose to repurpose their dining rooms because formal dining is not part of their lifestyle, others choose to keep the dining area and add additional functionality to the space. We’ll go into these features below. Depending on the purpose your dining room is intended for, we’ll help you choose the color lighting to install.
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Various uses for a dining room
Dining rooms should be a multi-purpose space, especially in small homes or apartments. If you add additional functionality to your dining room, it frees up space elsewhere in your home. Below are some clever ideas to transform your dining room to add more functions.
- Add bookshelves, one or two reading chairs, and an end table to your dining room. This will turn your dining room into a quiet reading area. Choose bookshelves that fit your space, from short bookshelves that work under a window to tall bookshelves that reach almost to the ceiling. The chair should be comfortable, not too large. The end table should be just big enough for a book and a cup of coffee.
- Add a compact sofa, a loveseat, or a sofa together with a small end table against a wall. This would be best if you design this area for chatting and visiting, not lounging. Again, the furniture should not be oversized. The end tables should be large enough to hold a drink, an appetizer plate, and maybe even a small lamp.
- Create the perfect space for entertainment by adding a small living area in one half of your dining room. This strategy works best for less formal dining rooms. Such a space is great for game day gatherings, book clubs, game nights, and other similar get-togethers. To complete your mini living room, you should incorporate a compact sofa, an accent chair, a coffee table, end tables, and a TV.
The effect of different types of lighting
Before we discuss the effect of lighting in different colors, let’s take a closer look at how different types of lighting affect a person’s mood and behavior. Studies have shown that bright lights amplify a person’s emotions. It’s less likely for them to keep a cool head and remain calm. Whether you’re feeling positive or negative, bright light enhances those emotions.
Dim lighting generally makes you feel more relaxed. You’re likely to be less alert and tend to slow down overall. For example, dim lighting in a dining room could cause you to eat at a slower pace.
In addition to the sun, blue light has other sources in your life. Digital screens, LED lights, and fluorescent lamps are the main sources of blue light that you’re exposed to daily. Blue light can make you feel more awake and productive. This quality would make it perfect for use in some rooms but not others, such as a bedroom.
Natural light makes you happier. It’s important to have windows that are large enough to let in natural light that benefits your household members. Some believe that this type of light can help alleviate some symptoms of depression. Dim lighting can also cause you to eat less.
How colors affect your mood and behavior
Warm and cool lighting have specific effects on your mood and behavior. Warm colors create a more stimulated, excited response. Cool and muted colors evoke calmer reactions. This rule should be considered not only when choosing colors but also when selecting the type of light bulb.
Cold, warm, and soft white light
Cool or bright white light sometimes takes on a bluish tint. This type of light is more neutral and doesn’t drastically alter the colors of its surroundings. You’ll find this type of neutral lighting in fluorescent lamps, which is likely why you see fluorescent lamps so often in retail spaces.
Warm or soft white light is characteristic of incandescent bulbs. Warm bulbs can produce a slightly orange hue, making the atmosphere feel inviting and cozy. For this reason, incandescent bulbs or LED lights that can produce a similar warm light are often the choice for apartments.
Black and purple light
The psychological effects of colored lighting are strong. In a dining room, black lighting would represent formality, elegance, and prestige. Purple lighting can evoke a sense of royalty, power, and luxury, but it’s also known for reducing stress. Purple and black lights would work well together for a formal dining room.
Green and blue light
For a less formal dining room, green and blue may be the right choice. Green represents nature and gives a sense of calmness and harmony. Blue promotes a feeling of wisdom, intelligence, and the serenity of air, sky, and water. This space could be the dining room where you find a quiet spot to read, or where your children can do their homework.
Red, orange, and yellow light
If you’re planning to entertain in a less formal setting, red, orange, and yellow lights could be options to consider. Red promotes passion, love, romance, and friendship. Orange sparks creativity and gives a sense of warmth, enthusiasm, happiness, and high energy. Yellow radiates warmth, joy, happiness, and laughter. This warmly lit dining room would be perfect for adding a sofa or a mini living area.
An easy way to adjust the mood in your dining room
Even with a brief explanation of the effect of each color on you, your household members, and your guests, selecting a single color lighting for your dining room is still a challenge. This statement is especially true if you’ve decided to use your dining area for multiple purposes. It would be much simpler to be able to adjust the lighting color in the room to suit every occasion. There are two ways to achieve this end goal.
- Choose one white plus one or two light colors that best suit your purposes and distribute them to all lighting sources in your dining room. In addition to wall sconces and table lamps, you’ll need a hanging light, such as a chandelier. The highly-rated Sunlite LED A19 Color light bulbs are available in seven colors. These bulbs are available in individual packs or multipacks of the same color.
- Consider using remote-controlled color-changing bulbs in your multi-purpose dining room. Something like the Yangcsl LED RGB Color Changing Bulb would do the trick. These bulbs can cycle through ten different colors and are dimmable. Although each bulb comes with a remote control, you can control them all with one remote. These bulbs are rated 4.7 out of 5 stars based on 3,466 customer ratings.
Final thoughts
The best color lighting for an informal dining room is a warm color. This spectrum of colors is perfect for entertaining as it promotes happiness and positive relationships, whether romantic or friendly.
Warmer lighting, including soft white, is the better option for giving your dining room a cozy and inviting atmosphere. You can also consider color-changing bulbs or multi-color bulbs for multi-purpose dining rooms.