While many of us love to lounge in our sweatpants, it’s always fun to have a reason to get dressed up and look our best. When you’re feeling the urge to put on a nice dress and host a dinner party, it’s important that your dining room doesn’t feel overly casual. The right chandelier will add sparkle and drama to your dining room, and your evening will instantly feel more special.

Nicer restaurants typically set an intimate mood with soft, darker lighting. You can utilize this same technique by installing dimmers in your dining room. Dimmers work better than most options, because they allow you to change a room’s lighting whenever you want. So when you need a well-lit room during the day, all you have to do is adjust the dimmer switch.

The advantage of indirect lighting such as floor lamps and table lamps is the mobility of the lighting source and the ability to set up lighting in different areas to fit the specific dining experience. Another way to add an additional lighting source is through mini pendant lighting. Perhaps you don’t have a formal dining room but only a kitchen corner or kitchen island to dine. Hang a row or even a cluster of mini pendants to create an intimate setting much the same as you would find in a elegant restaurant.

Once you dim the lights, it is usually best to have an additional light source so that you and your guests can see each other and your food more properly. Candles are the perfect solution for adding light because their soft glow adds even more ambiance and can be used to create a more romantic setting.