Where do I center a dining room light fixture?

leigh_2009

15 years ago

I'm having a problem figuring out where to put the ceiling light fixture in the dining room. It will be a smallish chandy.

The room isn't that large and is next to the kitchen with the only "divider" being a kitchen peninsula. If I center the light in the room, it won't be centered over the dining room table. The room's not big enough to center both the light and the table.

I would prefer it be over the table but would it look funny since it won't be centered in the room?

Thanks in advance for you help!

Featured Answer

artlover13060

15 years ago

Definitely center it over the table. Mine was originally centered in the room and it drove me crazy for 20 years! I just moved it a few months ago and am so happy that I did. Like terriks said, unless the room is huge you cant have it centered in the room and over the table and still have room for a china cabinet at one end.

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Comments (7)

peaches12345
15 years ago
We have a similar situation in our breakfast area. The electrical connection is in the center of the room and then we have swagged the fixture itself over the center of the table with a brass chain and ceiling hook.
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2ajsmama
15 years ago
I planned my new construction very carefully to center the chandy over the table (with china cabinet to one side), didn't notice til we laid the floor (centered on the room) that the sconces at the head of the table were centered on the wall, not on the chandy! So if I had my druthers, I'd center it over the table - esp. if there's not room enough to move the table into the center of the room (which I might have to do - just be a little tight to china).
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I have a rectangular dining room with a large window at one end. There is an opening on a perpendicular wall right next to the window wall, to the foyer. Across the room on the other perpendicular wall there is a door to the kitchen, with just 3 feet between it and the window wall. This means that there is a natural walkway between the foyer and the kitchen on the window end instead of going around the long way through the hallways to get to the back of the kitchen! Because of this, I did not center my oval dining room table in the room and it fits fairly well in the area beyond where the doorways are, and the light fixture is then centered over the table but not centered in the room. I put a bench in front of the window and with that and a few baskets the dining room is now a dining room/landing area and suits us for every day life. But I want to make the room a little more dramatic and elegant and also have more people to dinner! I started thinking about adding leaves to the table at least occasionally; I have two to add. But then what happens to the light fixture? It is convenient to our lifestyle to have the table, when smaller, set back. But not to have a centered light fixture would be very unsettling for me. Is there a light fixture that could actually be angled or adjusted somehow so that I could center it as needed? Any advice?
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can you choose a fixture on a chain, and swag it over to center it on your table.... saves moving the junction box and doesnt offend your eye so much.
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terezosa / terriks
15 years ago
You should center it over the table. Too often fixtures are centered to the room, then it's hard to place a china cabinet and table.
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cbm4style
15 years ago
My designer insisted that I put the new table under the light in the middle of the DR. We also have recessed lights in there. I disagreed. We have a chair in the corner by the window and a plant stand by the side of the window with an old Chinese chest underneath. Plus we have a 1940's built in buffet. I think that the light looks fine not directly over the table. I was more concerned about room to walk on either side of the table.
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igloochic
15 years ago
Over the table definately. I have two dining rooms...one was easy, the table centers with really no options, but in the other one the table needs to be offset a bit. I changed the fixture to be centered on the table placement.
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2ajsmama
15 years ago
Just wondering since we all agree it should be over the table - b/c of builder error, my sconces are centered on the wall, not the chandy. I compounded the problem by letting the HW installer center the pattern of the floor ("picture framed" in concentric rectangles) in the room as well. Now that's covered by the Oriental rug, but should I move one sconce or the chandy? I'm concerned that years down the road (not really thinking of resale, it's family land, but of future generations who might buy different furniture) it would look very strange to have lighting offset from the floor pattern/room by 6". Sorry for the hijack but I thought it was on-topic.

Picture of DR floor no furniture - sorry no pics of wall with sconces but you can see the floor pattern.

Room with furniture - if you can see the piece of blue tape on the wall next to electrical box, that's where sconce was supposed to go to be centered on chandy.

WWYD? The ceilings were recently repainted, if we move the chandy it won't be for a while since this ceiling paint does *NOT* touch up well. Neither does the wall color but it would be a lot easier to move the sconce, patch and repaint the wall than to paint the ceiling that is open to the foyer. Thanks
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Where do I center a dining room light fixture?

artlover13060

Comments (7)

peaches12345

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