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

Lighting a 8 × 12 ft dining room

Total light needed
1,920lumens
96 ft² × 20 foot-candles
Room area96ft²
Target light levelIES guidance for a dining room20foot-candles
Total lumens1,920lm
Colour temperaturedimmable, centred on the table2700K
Bulbs (800 lm each)3bulbs
Recessed cans (4 ft spacing)320 lm each6fixtures
Room
dining room
Width
8 ft
Length
12 ft

Where 1,920 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 96 ft² that is 1,920 lumens in total.

Split it up

One fixture putting out 1,920 lumens and 6 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 1,920 lm fixture and 6 smaller ones add up the same but look completely different.

Nearby sizes