The best lighting for relaxed dining
January 23, 2017
In a restaurant there are very few choices you make that are not psychologically manipulated through clever interior design tricks. Lighting is one of them, and most diners have no idea that they are being encouraged to stay and spend, or eat and leave so that the table can be quickly cleared for someone else.

With lighting being such a key factor when designing a restaurant’s ambience, it stands to reason that the psychology of design can also play a role in your own dining room to encourage calm family dinners or unforgettable dinner parties.

Creating an ambience

To set the tone, the interior décor of your dining room should be calming, inviting and comfortable. Nobody ever really relaxes in a sterile environment, so white walls and fluorescent lights in a dining area are strongly discouraged.

Stark walls and bright lighting are how fast food restaurants get patrons in and out as quickly as possible. Colours can subconsciously influence our emotions, and sunset reds and oranges are well known appetite stimulants, so use rich muted colours with a hint of an African interior theme, for example.

Why does candle light epitomise the romantic fine dining experience?

Quite simply, a soft warm glow makes almost anyone look more attractive. Not because it’s almost too dark to see each other, but because according to neuroscience, it enriches our skin colour, thus making our appearance more alluring. If the light is too bright we look pallid, which increases anxiety and negativity. It’s not intentional, it’s just psychology.

So if you want to create a positive thought pattern in a relaxed environment around mealtimes (especially for teenagers!) then make sure your lighting is warm and soft. These Calabash lights for example, are perfect for soft lighting and are great conversation starters.

Up-light, down-light and ambient light

If the room is too dark but you don’t want to change your whole lighting scheme, then up-lighters can be used on a focal point such as an interesting artwork, and will also create background ambient lighting.

Don’t despair if your interior design budget is tight. Develop a centerpiece wall with colour or add a few interesting furniture or art pieces to the room, then install a dimmer switch to create just the right amount of light with the fittings that you already have.

Come and visit us if you would like more advice on your lighting needs, but please, just don’t blame us if no one wants to leave your next dinner party!

Share on Socials

By Kyra Harper August 15, 2023
Back in March of 2020, Bianca and Jana were dusting off their Fez’s and grabbing the pashminas out of storage in preparation to Rock the Casbah! However, as we all know and vividly remember - with March, came the eventual Covid shutdown, and instead of frolicking down the Moroccan streets, we all shut ourselves inside and watched the days tick by… 3 Years later, and now we can finally say - with conviction - that they’re going to Morocco at the start of September! This blog, filled with excitement and curiosity about all the weird and wonderful curios they might find, and endless sourcing they’ll do, stays as a reminder that sometimes plans change, things go awry and there’s not much you can do about it other than persevere - and that we did! So, here’s Bianca and Jana’s innermost thoughts about the trip, 3 years before it came to fruition, enjoy :) We've got our passports out and Jana has already picked out what she's going to wear each day… Come March [September] we'll be heading north with Air France to the Kingdom of Morocco, bright eyed and bushy tailed as we make our base in the ancient city of Marrakesh (also known as Marrakech to the French, but we're not French, so we'll go with the English version until all that fuss about Brexit is sorted out) - This turned into a year long negotiations trade, and now us outsiders would pay nearly double what we used to if we visit the UK - thankfully our flight is direct!! We'll be looking for inspiration and will be investigating what's there that we could possibly bring back to The Hoed. We can't wait to experience the atmosphere and afro-arabic influences of this amazing place as we visit the celebrated souks and off-the-beaten track artists and craftsmen that make Marrakesh so special. We're desperate to see the beautifully hand-crafted furniture, textiles, fabrics, rugs, carpets, objets d'art, accessories, lighting… anything that catches our eye and could possibly be brought back south. Berber mats and rugs are definitely on our list, as are the kind of furnishings you might find in a gorgeous Bedouin tent. If you think about it, the Bedouin refined the art of "glamping" into an artform - fabulous carpets on the ground, soft, billowing fabrics hung here and there, plump cushions spread on the ground, intricate leatherwork and carved wood, patinated metal… Total Glamping vibes! We just love all of it and will be tracking as much of it down as we can. We'll also have an eye or three out for wonderful ceramics and glassware and wonderful lamps that give off soft, filtered light.  For us it's about workmanship, so we'll hopefully be finding the people who make furniture and ceramics using techniques that have been passed down over countless generations meaning that everything we look at will have its own, and its own special story. Our mission is to share those stories with you and, if it's feasible, bring some of that special workmanship home to the Rainbow Nation. We're most definitely inspired and are sure this is going to be a truly special trip! Counting the sleeps till then! Less than a month to go now - we will be keeping the updates going on our social channels as well as another few blog posts to explain in detail our wild adventures - Stay tuned!
Tasteful Safari Theme
By Kyra Harper August 15, 2023
A safari theme never really runs out of viewing time and is particularly popular for interiors at the moment. The warm, earthy tones give a sense of comfort and the accessories offer the anticipation of travel and adventure.
Buy Mosquito Nets Online | Top Quality in South Africa
By Kyra Harper August 9, 2023
Stay protected from mosquitoes with top quality mosquito nets. Buy online in South Africa for the best deals. Shop now and sleep peacefully.
Share by: