Lighting Trends That Are Totally In
There’s a lot of neat lighting trends this year, but the big takeaway is that lighting with personality is where it’s at. Let’s look at what that means in 2021:
Smart lighting. Smart everything is in right now, of course, it is. Lighting not only makes it possible to coordinate lighting programs for certain times of the day or room uses, but it can also double as a part of a security plan when a homeowner is out. Bonus: some smart lighting can also be adjusted to basically any color to create brilliant mood lighting.
LEDs. LED lights are not only extremely energy efficient, they come in a wide array of designs. From easy to hide strips for under-counter and trim lighting to Edison bulbs that people really want to show off, there’s seemingly nothing LED lighting can’t do. With winter rolling in, all that extra light for pennies can help keep cabin fever at bay as the days get shorter, too.
Lighting with style. There’s something to be said for lighting that blends into the background and doesn’t bother anyone, but there’s even more to be said for lighting that makes an unapologetic statement. Take a turn through your favorite big box store and you’ll see how much lighting with character is in this year. There’s a lot of love for the geometric fixtures, but industrial, farmhouse, and the Mid-Century Modern reboot styles are bringing a lot of character into spaces that really need something to help them stand out.
What’s Out?
Although there’s always someone who is going to cling to long dead fashion trends. There are some lighting trends that really have gone the way of the dodo. Those include:
Super harsh lighting. Hollywood style bathroom lighting springs to mind when harsh lighting comes up in conversation, but they’re just one example. These bright light bars were once considered the end-all. Be-all of bathroom attire, but today it’s clear that the harsh lighting just washes everything out, making it impossible to know if your look is really all that.
Tiffany-style lighting. Unless you’re involved in a restoration of a late Victorian style house. The stained-glass lamps and covers just have to go. Not only do they reduce the value of any light that might actually come out of the fixture. They also look extremely outdated. Once in a while, a stained-glass piece pops. But more often than not, they just look like they came out of a time capsule.
Minimalistic lighting. Minimalism has a place and that’s in the file of things we all did wrong in the past. It’s also useful if you actually do need some accent lighting that doesn’t want to steal the show. Your clients deserve better than that.
Do you do lighting design as part of your electrical business? What trends are you seeing emerging this year?
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