TIANLICHUJU — PERSONAL VERIFICATION WORKSHEET
Choosing a dining pendant that leaves faces visible
https://tianlichuju.com/journal/choosing-a-dining-pendant-that-leaves-faces-visible/

PROPOSED CHECKS — NO MEASURED RESULTS SUPPLIED
Date: __________________  Units: __________________
Room / product reference: __________________

1. Seated fixture outline
Where: From every dining chair toward the person opposite, with the table at its usual position.
Record: Represent the shade with a safely supported lightweight profile; record outline dimensions, proposed suspension, and the views where it interrupts faces.
Your observation: ______________________________________________
Interpretation: The outline tests scale and sight lines, not beam distribution, glare, or the safety of a real suspension.
Alternative: Try a smaller profile, different form, or revised location before accepting a fitting that dominates seated conversation.

2. Illuminated meal scene
Where: At the occupied table with normal plates, glasses, serving dishes, and intended secondary lights.
Record: With a representative fitting where available, note bright sources, dim food areas, reflections, and behavior across the compatible dimming range.
Your observation: ______________________________________________
Interpretation: The scene records that fitting in that setup; a cardboard mockup or product photograph cannot supply equivalent light-performance evidence.
Alternative: Change source shielding or distribution, then add appropriate room-edge light if the route disappears when the table dims.

3. Moving table and servicing
Where: Across normal and extended table positions and at the fixture's proposed maintenance access point.
Record: Draw both table centers, active seats, and the safe access method for cleaning or component replacement; identify any unresolved cable position.
Your observation: ______________________________________________
Interpretation: A fitting centered over one layout may serve another poorly; the drawing does not establish a safe electrical alteration.
Alternative: Compare a broader or flexible arrangement with an appropriate installer rather than forcing the table under the existing point.

PRACTICAL TRIAL
1. Test the full group if several pendants are proposed, not one isolated shade.
2. Ask to see the light operating rather than judging only its unlit shell.
3. Check manual controls from the room entrance before ordering connected features.

COMPARE THE SAME SCOPE
- Fixture size, distribution, and compatible controls
- Secondary light and actual table configurations
- Electrical work, safe maintenance, and replaceable components
Cost drivers: Moving the ceiling supply or making good; Multiple pendants and control compatibility; Special access or proprietary replacement modules
Choose another route when: A low sculptural fitting is unsuitable when it blocks faces, serving, or changing table layouts and cannot be adjusted without compromising useful light.

EVIDENCE BOUNDARY
No pendant height, light level, or dimming outcome has been measured here. The worksheet separates visual scale trials from product and installation verification.

PHOTO REFERENCE
Laid tables and repeated dining chairs sit below chandeliers, with windows and framed pictures around the room.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Killarney_-_Great_Southern_Hotel_dining_area_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1640275.jpg

DECISION CONDITIONS
choose: Choose the fitting when its full outline preserves eye contact and serving, while its actual distribution supports food and faces across the useful range of the intended controls.
alternative: Use a quieter or broader arrangement, secondary room-edge light, or revised supply position when the table moves or the existing ceiling point conflicts with the useful meal layout.
stop: Stop the purchase if an unlit product image is the only evidence for glare, distribution, or maintenance access and those questions determine whether the fitting works.

PUBLISHED REFERENCES
CCOHS: Lighting Ergonomics Survey and Solutions
https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/lighting/lighting_survey.html
CCOHS identifies both direct and reflected glare and recommends assessing it from the normal task position. The guidance separates source position from overall brightness, supporting a seated pendant trial instead of assuming that dimming an uncomfortable source necessarily resolves its placement.
Scope: These workplace diagnostic principles do not set a domestic pendant height, certify dimmer compatibility, or establish a room's light levels.
Photographer: Joseph Mischyshyn
Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0

Notes: ________________________________________________________