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Lighting
Design Store's edit of the best lights for Kitchens and Dining Rooms (just as useful elsewhere in the home, too) is right here. Whatever your needs, we hope you'll find these suitably illuminating.
stanlette pendant shadepookyThere are lots of classic pendant lights around so you need to find a good one. This is it. A soft stone colour (rather than harsh brilliant white) a copper inside to bounce the light back out and a twisted fabric cable. Choose the fittings – from chrome or antique bronze, silver or brass – and take a look at the chirpy emerald green to bring a bit of life to a monochrome scheme.
dexter in ash black with a white interiorpookyAnother classic style, this glass version would look great in a kitchen with one of those newly fashionable LED Edison style bulbs, which would add another sculptural element to the light. Comes in two sizes, so you can mix up three over the dining table (hang them low for real impact) or a pair at different heights over an island.
Gold Palm PendantCox & CoxPalm tree lights have rather taken over in recent years (I bought mine about six years ago) but this is a pretty pendant that will cast an interesting shadow – and don’t forget the cardinal rule with a pendant light is that it must look as good off as on. Think of it as the earring to go with an outfit, and you can see why sculptural is good. The metallic finish on this one will catch the light and bounce it about in a dark room. I chose it because the leaves are well designed and the proportions are right (I saw another somewhere which had so many leaves it looked like tinsel). If you want a palm tree pendant, this is the one.
Connaught Ceiling Light Dowsing & ReynoldsA pendant that doesn’t actually hang down, so this would be good in a low-ceilinged dining room, for example. The arms also mean the light will stretch to every corner. Fix it to a dimmer switch if you can, then it works for a romantic dinner as well as a wake-up breakfast.
melville wall sconcepookyThis mercurised glass sconce will diffuse the light gently outwards. Bring a bit of luxe to the kitchen (instead of the dreaded grid of spotlights) or try them in a bedroom to create a softer effect than a pendant would bring.
smaller espere in prismatic glasspookyPerfect for small spaces where you want something more interesting than a harsh downlight – the downstairs loo for example, or a dressing room corner or cupboard.
Round diffused wall lightH&M HOMEMore for ambient light than actual threading of needles, this will work nicely in conjunction with table and floor lamps. But, crucially, it will also look really pretty when turned off, so it won’t fight with any pictures you have hanging on the wall.
ned standing lamppookyOne thing to always double check is when lamp bases don’t come with shades. I’ve been caught out by that before, so do always make sure before you buy. This is one of those occasions – and while you might like the styling of the raffia shade, you will need to add to cart independently. I quite like the contrast between the metallic adjustable base and the somewhat low-fi shade.
Ridotti matt black raffia pendantLights & LampsIf you've chosen to have pendants over the table rather than the island, this minimal raffia design is perfect and won’t clutter the space. The open shade means it gives good illumination, too. Add either a frosted or a clear glass bulb.
Ribbon LED Ceiling PendantHeal'sA proper sculptural light that will look amazing over the dining table. And with luck the fixings will become almost invisible when it’s switched on, giving the impression that it really is floating in the room. It’s exclusive to Heal's, too.
