How many watts of lighting do I need over a dining table?

I foolishly bought a pendant lamp with only a 100 watt halogen light bulb for my dining area. Now that I've decided to replace it with a bigger chandalier, how many watts of light should I be looking at? I do have a Lutron dimmer, so it'll be adjustable. Is total wattage even what I should be looking at? Is there some other measurement to consider?



Because my dining room has a sloping roof, I can really only do a single chandalier or pendant lamp. A single pendant lamp will never be bright enough -- so that's out. Most chandaliers tend to have lamp shades that focus upwards, whereas I know lighting for a dining table should mostly focus downwards -- to draw people into the dining area.



What are my options? For what it's worth, I very much want a modern, contemporary design.How many watts of lighting do I need over a dining table?
Wattage definitely is what we think of when we think of how bright a light bulb is... but that generally really is meant to indicate how much electricity the unit is converting to another form of energy (light/heat). You could use a 9 Watt fluorescent screw-in bulb that has the same brightness as a 40 Watt incandescent bulb.



Anyway, what you need is, as you said, something that DOES direct light down to your eating surface... not up onto your cavernous ceiling. I actually believe that there is a pretty decent selection of chandeliers out there with lamp covers that direct light down... you just might have to shop around a bit.



Have you considered a small track-lighting installation that would allow you to hang, say, three pendant lights down over your table? This would probably achieve the more contemporary angle you're looking for AND increase the overall lighting in the room. It could lay flush against a single sloping ceiling... or span across an A-sloped ceiling (wasn't sure which one you were dealing with).



Good luck.How many watts of lighting do I need over a dining table?
40w good for 4 lamp fixtures thru 6 lamps. 60 w if frosted
You need a dimmer on a dining room light fixture. Install the most wattage that your fixture allows. A dimmer is very inexpensive and simple to install. Your light bulbs will last virtually forever because they are never maxxed out. You can use the table for a well lit card game and change to a romantic dinner in a second. Afterwards, you can dim it to a night lite.



Electrical consumption drops as the bulb is dimmed.
I would try a dimmer, or go to a store that sells lightnings and tell them your situation.
Since you have a dimmer, I would put in as much wattage as the dimmer will handle. I assume that is about 600 Watts (that's what ours are).



We have 8 - 40 watt bulbs in our chandelier and two 150 watt cans in the ceiling over the dining room table.