Sockets and Switches for Dining Rooms

Lighting is everything in a dining room, and the sockets and switches you choose play a bigger role in that than most people realise. A well-specified dining room will typically combine a dimmer for the main overhead light with 5-amp sockets for table or floor lamps — giving full control over the mood of the space at different times of day and for different occasions.

Dimmers

A dimmer switch for the main dining room light is close to essential if the room is used for entertaining. Being able to reduce the overhead light to a low, warm level transforms the atmosphere of a dining room in a way that an on/off switch simply cannot. Socket Store stocks dimmers across all finishes and plate styles, so the dimmer can match the rest of the room's switches exactly.

5-amp sockets for table and floor lamps

A 5-amp socket is a lower-powered socket designed specifically for lighting — table lamps and floor lamps plug directly into them rather than into a standard 13-amp socket. In a dining room, 5-amp sockets are typically installed at skirting board level and wired to a switch or dimmer on the wall, allowing all the table lamps in the room to be controlled from a single point. This gives the same effect as a smart lighting system but using traditional wiring — lamps come on together, dim together, and go off together at the touch of a switch. Socket Store stocks 5-amp sockets across finishes and plate styles to match the rest of your dining room specification.

Finish

The dining room is one of the spaces where a considered finish makes the most impact. Antique brass with a Georgian or Victorian plate style suits a traditional or period dining room. Brushed steel or matt black with a Flat or Deco plate works well in a contemporary space. For a more dramatic, design-led look, polished brass or copper are increasingly popular choices in dining rooms where the fittings are intended to be seen as part of the interior scheme.

How many sockets does a dining room need?

At minimum, a dining room should have one double 13-amp socket for occasional use — a phone charger, a speaker, a laptop at other times of day. If the room has a sideboard or dresser, a socket behind or near it is useful for a lamp or serving equipment. The 5-amp sockets for table lamps are in addition to these and should be planned at the design stage if possible, as they require dedicated wiring.