KelvinPlanHow much light each room needs, and what colour it should be.

Lighting a 10 × 16 ft dining room

Total light needed
3,200lumens
160 ft² × 20 foot-candles
Room area160ft²
Target light levelIES guidance for a dining room20foot-candles
Total lumens3,200lm
Colour temperaturedimmable, centred on the table2700K
Bulbs (800 lm each)4bulbs
Recessed cans (4 ft spacing)320 lm each10fixtures
Room
dining room
Width
10 ft
Length
16 ft

Where 3,200 lumens comes from

Lighting is specified in foot-candles — lumens landing on each square foot of the surface you care about. A dining room is worked to 20 foot-candles. Across 160 ft² that is 3,200 lumens in total.

Split it up

One fixture putting out 3,200 lumens and 10 fixtures adding up to the same number light a room very differently. A single source throws hard shadows and glare; several spread the light and make the room feel larger. Aim for layers — ambient, task, and something low for the evening.

Colour temperature

2700K suits this room. Warmer light reads as relaxed and is what you want where people wind down; cooler light keeps edges and colours crisp, which matters where there is work to do.

Notes

  • Foot-candles are lumens per square foot at the work surface. Ceilings above 9 ft, dark walls or dark flooring all eat light — add roughly 10% per extra foot of ceiling height.
  • Spread the total across several fixtures rather than one bright source. One 3,200 lm fixture and 10 smaller ones add up the same but look completely different.

Nearby sizes