Early in my career I had a habit of putting recessed downlights in the corners of the room. These lights chase away shadows and make a hug around the dining table, as seen in the photo of my parent’s dining room in this post. This is still a solid approach for those who insist on strict symmetry in ceiling geometry and I do return to it occasionally. But now that I have advanced beyond ceiling geometry to preference human biology and psychology, I trend to other solutions.

My default these days is to put light on the walls- or anything on the walls like art, textures, and wall coverings. I use recessed adjustable downlights so I can tilt them to highlight a painting and reflect light gently back into the room. These are centered on walls and vertical surfaces (like the faces of cabinetry) to put the light in the right place for a comforting hug. It might not make your food taste better, but it will help you feel better while you sit at the table. And that’s one thing you can do to live a better life.