Many of us have been stuck at home for at least a year at this point. It's looking like this may become a permanent trend, as well. 75% of employees think that employers will support working from home after COVID-19.
This makes it an optimal time to consider some of the latest lighting trends. If you're spending so much time at home, why wouldn't you want where you live to looks its absolute best?
It might seem like home lighting trends are the most obvious thing in the world. Isn't a dimmer switch as fancy as you're likely to find in someone's domicile? Not so.
Lighting trends have greatly evolved in the 21st Century. To help you decide upon the lighting scheme of your dreams, we've put together a thorough guide for the latest lighting trends. First, we'll show you some of the most popular styles. Then we'll dig into some of the latest lighting trends themselves to give you some ideas on how you can make these designs your own.
The Biggest Lighting Trends For This Year
Redesigning the lighting in your home is one of the easiest and most cost-effective to revitalise your space. Consider the fact that Australians were spending upwards of $20,000 on a kitchen renovation in 2018. Think how many light fixtures you could get for that kind of money?
Let's start by looking at some popular lighting styles. Then we'll show you how people are using them in new and striking ways.
Art Deco Lighting
The '20s are back again! What better time to experience a renaissance of art deco lighting, with its unique blend of modernity and glamour? Art deco lighting first came into fashion in the 1920s, a high point of style and design. The '20s were experiencing an archaeological craze due to recent discoveries in Egypt, Greece, and Central American. These historical designs were abstracted into sharp lines and geometric shapes. The end result is both classic but entirely modern.
This blurring of eras and styles makes art deco lighting timeless. It looks as fresh, stylish, and striking 100 years after the fact as it did during the Jazz Age!
Federation
If you're retrofitting your Australian home's lighting, there's a good chance you want to emphasise its unique history and heritage. Federal lighting hearkens back to a high point in Australian history and lighting design!
The Federation period refers to the years around the turn of the 20th Century when Australia established its independence. Federation lighting's roots may lie in the Edwardian and Queen Anne style of the UK but it evolved to inhabit its own particular identity.
If cast iron and wall sconces are your idea of elegance you'd do well to consider the Federation lighting trend.
French Provincial
The French may have invented love but they may have also invented style. If you can appreciate historical charm, you'll find a lot to love about the French Provincial style.
French Provincial lighting refers to an era in the 17th and 18th Centuries. Local artisans began recreating some of the more lavish decor in favour in Paris at that time. The more rustic artisans stripped the designs of some of their frills while still retaining the sense of elegance and class.
This makes French Provincial a perfect lighting choice for these times when we all want a touch of luxury but don't necessarily have a royal budget.
Industrial
Industrial lighting doesn't necessarily refer to fluorescent lighting and shooting sparks. In fact, industrial lighting is just shorthand for minimalist lighting fixtures with an emphasis on unadorned metal and neutral colours.
Industrial lighting is an excellent accessory for anyone going for a streamlined, modernist aesthetic. It's also another timeless aesthetic as sleek lines and unpolished metal are present in every era since the Iron Age.
Scandinavian
The Scandinavian cultures are well-known and revered for their design sensibilities and for good reason. Many of the aesthetics that we associate with modern design stem directly from Nordic designers. It's not all just monochrome and angular lines, either.
Scandinavian design has been blossoming in the 21st Century and nowhere is this more obvious than in Scandinavian lighting. What may have once been restricted to Ikea lighting fixtures has evolved to incorporate striking shapes and tasteful colours. Whether you're looking for a simple pendant light or a dramatic geometric fixture, you'll find it among Scandinavian lighting designs.
Traditional
Things are constantly changing and usually faster than any of us would like. Sometimes it's nice to feel like some things are stable and can be counted upon.
Traditional lighting focuses on bringing quality and attention to detail to each piece. Everything from hanging lights to chandeliers to wall sconces stand out and shine in some aspect. Traditional lighting is a way to incorporate conversation pieces without becoming gaudy or show-offish.
Hamptons
Design trends and styles are always influenced by the lifestyles of the rich and glamorous. It's no surprise that the influence of The Hamptons extends far beyond New York's Long Island.
The Hamptons lighting trend is attractive due to its mixture of style and affordability. Hamptons lighting also transforms conventional designs into subtle-but-striking conversation pieces. If you're looking to refurbish a room by simply replacing a lighting fixture or two, you'd do well to check out A Hamptons piece.
Modern/Contemporary
"What is the modern/contemporary lighting trend?" you may be asking yourself. Aren't all of the lighting trends mentioned on this list modern, solely by being in fashion at the moment?
The answer is - yes and no.
Modern design is a style and aesthetic unto itself as well as describing the era we're currently inhabiting. Modern lighting designs break from the old completely. It's not recreating former eras like many of the other design trends that are currently in fashion.
Modern lighting focuses on clean lines and geometric shapes, similar to Art Deco lighting. Modern lighting fixtures often take these tendencies to an extreme, however. Sometimes they can be so minimal they're barely there.
For the dedicated minimalist, you'd do well to investigate contemporary lighting fixtures.
Tiffany
Some lighting trends never go out of style. They've remained in-fashion and stylish since the moment they were created. Such is the case with Tiffany lamps and lighting fixtures.
Tiffany lamps remain as striking and as stunning as when they were created in the late 1800s. Perhaps it's their inspiration in nature, but their organic shapes paired with colourful stained glass designs seem as timeless as a mountain meadow.
If you're looking for an easy way to inject some colour into a room or give a sense of timeless elegance, check out the Tiffany lighting trend.
Current Lighting Trends
Now that you've learned some of the designs and styles that are particularly in this year, let's take a look at some different ways you can apply them. These are some of the latest lighting trends that are lighting up people's interior designs.
Lighting as Focal Point
No matter what your design aesthetic is, you've got to at least contend with minimalism to some degree in 2021. Whether you're leaning into the stark, streamlined modernism or embracing more of a funky, retro, or classic aesthetic, you're still reacting to minimalism.
This minimalist slant makes it challenging to incorporate conversation pieces into your interior design. If you're too obvious, it becomes gouache or tacky or, perhaps worst of all, boastful.
Focusing on striking, tasteful light fixtures is a way to incorporate some drama into a room without being overly flashy. It's also in keeping with the modern ideal of having fewer belongings but of high quality.
Less really is more when you take the time to make sure that each element is top-notch!
Striking Table and Floor Lamps
Since a minimalist aesthetic is so ingrained in today's style, it means that every element in a room or design scheme needs to have a purpose. So much the better when something can pull double duty, then. Such is the case with decorative floor and table lamps.
Bold, striking structural lamps act as both light source and works of art in whatever room they're in. If you're going to have a piece of furniture in a room, why not make it interesting? This also makes sculptural lamps ideal for those who are cramped for space. They're essentially functional art!
Soft Gold Finishes
Of course, something as subjective as colour is largely going to boil down to a matter of personal taste. You can't really deny that different colours come in and out of style during different eras, though. Soft gold is one that's particularly in this year, which is in keeping with a few of the other trends we've been seeing.
You may be noticing a theme by this point. A certain upscale elegance is common across many of the different aesthetics that are in this year. Soft gold fits right in along with the sleek modernism and elegant Art Deco and Tiffany. It's also a way to bring in a rich or lavish look without appearing boastful or showing off a price tag.
If you want to get even more lavish you can get different pigmentations of soft gold. Rose gold is another popular finish that is a little more colourful and can be used to tie your lighting in with the rest of your decor.
Minimalist Designs
You no doubt picked up on this trend from a number of the design styles that are in this year. Just because minimalist, modern, or industrial lighting fixtures are in means you know how to use them, though. Nor does it mean they can be all be used in the same way.
Today's design trends seem to fall into two schools of thought. One is to make lighting a focal point or a design feature. The other is to make the lighting as invisible as possible. Both have their strengths and drawbacks depending on what you're going for.
Some minimalist lighting fixtures or lamps are so slight they're next to invisible. You can have some fun and get creative with this approach. Consider the work of minimalist installation artist Robert Irwin for a particularly extreme idea of what you can do with light and shadow.
As a general rule of thumb, if your interior design has other flashy features or things you want to focus one you might want to keep the lighting more simple. Instead, you can use the lighting to draw attention to the other design elements in the room you'd like to show off. Think about the lighting in a museum to get an idea about this approach to lighting.
Just because a lighting fixture is minimalist means it has to be invisible, though. Many modernist lighting fixtures are still sleek and streamlined but can come in a variety of striking shapes and colours. Remember, movements like Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern are modernist aesthetics as well.
As you can see, there's a nearly infinite array of ways that you can revitalize your space using lighting trends. Sometimes the best way to redesign your home is simply to change the way you see or approach it. Changing up the lighting lets you see your home or space in its best possible light.
Looking For Lighting In Sydney?
Lighting has come a long way in the 21st Century. There have been exciting technological innovations like smart lighting while other classic design trends have resurfaced and taken on a new life.
Whether you want your home to look like a futuristic sci-fi movie or an elegant estate, you'll find it in our inventory. Contact us today with any questions and let us know how we can help you rejuvenate your lighting!
