1945 Dining Room Illumination.

Possibly a multi-lamp pendant fitting, or chandelier.

A number of lamps each of low power give a much more pleasant light than a single lamp of higher power.

Five lamps each of 40 watts, or something similar. 

Versions existed in either wood or bright metal, some intended for lamp shades and others intended for bare lamps of the more decorative styles. Candle lamps, Gothic lamps, and other decorative types needed no lamp shades.


Fluorescent lighting was still rather new and little used in the home, but a minority did fit a concealed fluorescent lamp so as to give an indirect light reflected from the ceiling.


The luxury appliance might have been an electrically heated hot plate to keep food hot, or even a heated cupboard on wheels. Known these days as a "hostess trolley" though that brand may not have been yet invented.

It depended on the part of the country, and which sector of society you were in.


1945, in our house, a single bayonet light fitting in the centre of the room, 100W lamp (always called the bulb!), also used with a multi way adaptor to power the iron on wash days.  The luxury item would have been an electric fire with a wire spiral element zig zagged in a ceramic holder, powered from the two pin socket on the skirting.   Also doubled as a toaster, but you had to be careful not to let the fork touch the element.  If the element broke, then link the broken ends over each other to extend the life.


David


Edit to add date and lamp detail..

In the first house I can remember, the central ceiling light in the lounge was a 3 lamp drop-rod type fitting.


It was controlled by two switches on the wall - one controlled two of the lamps & the second switch controlled the third one. Thus it was possible to illuminate one, two or three of the 60W lamps. An early "dimmer"!