As much as we adore flooding our Architectural Spaces with natural daylight, good lighting design—be it in the interiors or in the outdoors—significantly makes a mark on the beholder because of how well it could transform a space: from a mere composition of Architectural Elements into an illuminated entity that thoughtfully renders light, brightening our activities. Trends in lighting design have changed dramatically over the years of late, but each year in the interior design and décor industry, a new set of lighting trends arise, responding to the zeitgeist. The year 2020 has forced most of us to stay indoors, and as such, the demands of lighting design have also taken new forms.
Here is a collection of lighting trends that have made a mark in the past year and could be expected to hold their place in the forthcoming as well.
1. Bold Statement Pieces with Geometric Design | Lighting Trends
These kinds of luminaires have been slowly making their way into the market for a while, growing in popularity over the day. The design here does not make the lamp a utilitarian object to light a space, but rather an art form in itself, a piece of sculpture to throw excitement into the room. A mild texture and a complementing colour to the form amplifies its appeal.
Geometric shapes furnish a casual feel to the design, whilst suiting any typology of space – from living spaces and kitchens to offices and the like. Plus, their form gives them a sense of timelessness and simplicity, toning multiple styles of interior décor.
2. Industrial and Retro Lighting – a Refined Comeback
The traditional Industrial Lighting Style has always been about rustic finishes, neutral colors, emphasizing the use of metal in a bare form. Whereas today, the same style manifests itself in a more refined outlook: with sleeker metals, smooth and varied tones as well as alternative designs, the Modern Retro style is upgraded with finer details to seem an art form in itself.
While previously the Retro style imbibed a sense of unfinished brutality that did not appeal to everyone, this Upgraded Industrial Trend attempts to change that notion. Appearing to suit any setting, these luminaires are a perfect addition to kitchens and dining spaces, although it could be a centerpiece to the house all by itself!
3. Sculptural Table and Floor Lamps | Lighting Trends
Gaining momentum in the past few years, décor with sculptural, organic forms are very much preferred by homeowners to add a vivid touch to the otherwise rectilinear interiors. Lamps with bold, sculptural forms add a statement with their design: they could very well frame a larger piece of furniture as bedside lamps to a cot, or as floor lamps create comfortable reading spots by an armchair.
At times, such design is used to spice up a forgotten corner in a large space – by the side of a sofa and complementary décor.
4. Art Deco, Mid-century Modern Comeback
Defined by clean lines, unique design, and a balance of art and form, Mid-century Modern and Art Deco were the most preferred styles for Interior Designers up until the 1970s. Although this trend has declined in the past few decades, it is making a slow, yet stark return.
The new Art Deco features sharp series of lines creating symmetrical patterns with attractive design. The Mid-century Modern on the other hand, brings together natural shapes and their aesthetics with an efficient function.
Art Deco is one way of adding a strong geometric design to a space, whilst Mid-century Modern is more laid-back sprinkling in a touch of fun to the indoors.
5. Bold brass, gold, soft gold, and matte black | Lighting Trends
Having evolved into a classic in contemporary décor, the usage of bold brass and gold are increasingly becoming popular these days. Warmer tones of polished brass provide a modern, sleeker, and more elegant take on metal.
Alongside, gold and more importantly, soft gold are other popular tones receiving widespread recognition. These could be matched with traditional materials like wood or marble or could render an altogether contemporary appeal with materials like concrete.
The other finish that could potentially be everywhere in the coming years is matte black. Being chic, edgy, and neutral, this could work with almost any material palette. It proposes luxury, boldness and either blends or contrasts effectively with contemporary color schemes.
6. Minimalism – clean lines, zero clutter
Continuing the trend of what modern interior décor offers, minimalism is expected to become a go-to style for many lighting solutions. Featuring simple geometric designs with clean, prominent forms and soft, neutral colors, this sense of aesthetic will be a lot more frequent in the coming days.
With more homeowners opting for contemporary styles of minimal décor, the lighting design complementing them could in no way be any less minimal, as a lot of low-profile fixtures are entering the market. Anything for a lack of clutter!
7. Home Office Lighting
With a greater part of the year spent in lockdown, with people working in whatever nooks they find at home, the year 2020 has significantly amplified the lighting design trends of Home Offices. A famous style to emerge catering to these needs is the one with traditional workmanship, having a heritage look. Such luminaires appear as interesting when switched off, as they would when turned on.
Since this trend has evolved in multiple ways together, the design options are a lot more, with different ways to light a single workspace at home – a few LED task lamps during the day, a set of cozy ambient lights in the evenings, and so on.
8. Artful Ceiling Lights
Creating a focal point in space, ceiling lights are a very effective means of providing ambient lighting to any kind of spatial typology. As such, a lot of design styles have emerged for a ceiling light in the past year. Chandeliers and pendants with simple, elegant forms have stood out, whilst a lot of eclectic options have also become prevalent. Clear glass pendants, put together in clusters at differing heights producing clean silhouettes are a favorite amongst homeowners. Design for chandeliers has also taken multiple forms, with minimalism being in the forefront.
9. Wall Sconces and Lighting for Wall Art
Excellent choices for accent lighting, wall sconces are yet to receive as much popularity as the other trends; with minimalism on the rise, these designs would prevent lighting on the floor, giving way to other sleek furniture and interior décor. Wall sconces, with a textured or smooth greige tone contrasted with gold or bold brass, are stark examples of the rising trends.
Wall lighting décor, fixed atop sideboards in drawing rooms accentuate wall mounted art pieces; with multiple design variants in the market, their fame has risen multifold in the last couple of years.
10. LED Lighting, Smart Tech. Lighting | Lighting Trends
Besides the traditional use of incandescent lamps in lighting design, LEDs are getting less expensive over the years, triggering a rise in their usage. Their only drawback being the high initial cost, they require little or no maintenance throughout their usage. Chandeliers and Pendants designed with LEDs are becoming popular choices in lighting décor.
Plus, home automation systems, controlled by voice assistants are expected to take over much of the lighting design industry of the future: they are slowly progressing towards being used in every space.
Products like Caseta by Lutron enable users to control light fixtures even when not at home through mobile applications—their advantage is in that they don’t require a new installation of smart bulbs throughout; rather, they are capable of functioning with their own hub. Tech-based lighting design products are expected to see a humongous rise in their usage, in the coming decade.
