With the bottom of the light about 60 to 75 centimeters above the tabletop. Small lights at the low end, large or wide lights higher, and if you also work at the table, around 75. The practical test: when you sit down, you look under the light at the person opposite you, not into the light source.
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Why 60 to 75 centimeters
There is no standard for the height of a dining table light. But lighting designers and suppliers almost all give the same range: sixty to seventy-five, sometimes eighty centimeters between the tabletop and the bottom of the light. There is a logic behind it.
- Too high and the light spreads across the whole room. The table is then no longer the place where the light comes together, and you see the light source from the sofa.
- Too low and the light hangs in your field of view. You look at the shade instead of at the person you are eating with, and whoever stands up bumps their head.
Within the range, you choose by the size of the light. A small light can go lower because it does not block the view. A large shade or a smoked-glass light can go a few centimeters higher. If you also work at the table, with papers or a laptop, around 75 centimeters gives a wider pool of light.
Work it out for your ceiling
A dining table is usually about 75 centimeters high. If you want the bottom of the light 65 centimeters above the top, it sits 140 centimeters above the floor. With a 2.60 meter ceiling, the distance from ceiling to the bottom of the light is then 120 centimeters. Subtract the height of the light itself and you know how long the cable has to be.
Measure your own table and ceiling. A few centimeters' difference you can see; ten centimeters you can feel.
One light or more
For a round or square table, one light in the middle is enough. For a long table, one light in the middle leaves the ends dark. There are two solutions:
- Several lights in a row. Spread them evenly along the length and do not let the outer ones hang past the end of the table. Small lights like the Calo, Ø60 millimeters, work best in twos or threes.
- A bar. The Baro is 120 centimeters long and spreads 3000 lumens over its whole length, without hard shadows at the ends.
A large light needs a large table. The Fumo is 86 centimeters wide with three shades and belongs above a table of at least two meters. Above a smaller table it dominates.
Adjustable or cut to length
Not every light can be adjusted afterwards. There are three kinds:
- Infinitely adjustable. The Filo adjusts from 9.5 to 160 centimeters without cutting. Handy if you move or replace the table later.
- Adjustable on the track. The Vando hangs from a 1-phase track and adjusts between 50 and 155 centimeters. Because it hangs from a track, you can also slide it sideways when the table moves.
- Cut to length. The Calo comes with 1.5 meters of cable that you shorten yourself. So measure carefully first: you can always cut shorter, never longer.
How to connect the light afterwards, with the strain relief in the right place, is in How do you connect a pendant light? All models are in pendant lights.
Light that does not dazzle
At 65 centimeters above the table you look almost straight into the light. A bare, bright light source is unpleasant then. Choose a light that shields the source, or a warmer, softer bulb. An amber filament bulb of 2200K, such as the 4 watt E27 pear, can be seen. A dimmer finishes it off: full light for eating, dimmed for afterwards.
How high does a light hang above a dining table?
With the bottom about 60 to 75 centimeters above the tabletop. Small lights lower, large lights higher, and around 75 centimeters if you also work at the table.
How many lights do you hang above a long table?
Two or three small lights spread evenly along the length, or one long bar. Do not let the outer lights hang past the end of the table.
Do you measure from the bottom or the middle of the light?
From the bottom. That is the part that hangs in your field of view when you sit at the table.