What Light Fixtures are Trending?

Lighting can be a subtle yet powerful means to enhance the feel and look of your home or office, as well as make you feel relaxed or productive.  

There’s a purpose to different types of lighting, but with so many different options to select from – we wanted to make sure you choose the right fit, and that your home is properly and nicely lit.

Here’s a basic guide to optimize your home’s lighting with the latest trends in light fixtures:

Function

First consider how you’re using each room. Lighting function generally falls in one of the following categories:

General or Ambient – acts as the overall lighting, illuminating all of the room and bringing “natural light” to it.  You can use a chandelier, pendant light, track lighting or wall sconces to create ambient light that fills the room.

Task – focused lighting for a specific area, such as work or reading area, which needs to be brighter than your ambient lighting. Desk lamps and under-cabinet kitchen lights are typical options, but depending on how you layer the lighting in your room and how bright the bulbs are, pendants and track lighting can also be used for task lighting.

Accent – lighting that highlights a particular area/object(s), like a work of art or a bookcase, usually creating shadow around the object for a dramatic effect.  Wall lights and landscape lights are common accent lights.

Layering

Consider whether there’s anything you want to accent in a room or an area in your home.  When layering, we recommend you start with ambient lighting, moving on to task and accent lighting.  

With rooms such as home offices, the focus could be on task lighting first.  In a hallway that displays photos or art, accent lighting might be the first consideration.

In the living room, together with ambient light, use an accent light in one corner of the room, and focus on an object, like a piece of art or a chair.

In the kitchen, have your ambient light overhead, and then add lower task lighting to illuminate the counter space, and, when possible, the sink.

When it comes to your bedroom, it’s common to have task lighting on nightstands.  Overall, overhead ambient light should be angled away from the bed and toward the dressing area.  You can also add accent light to illuminate a piece of art or a photograph on the wall.

Bathroom lighting is a little more complex – you want task lighting for the mirror, however, an overhead task light can create shadows, so consider lighting the mirror on either side, and then use an overhead ambient light to fully illuminate the room.

Fixtures

Once you have figured out the function of your home lighting, how bright you want it, select the best type of fixture for optimizing those factors.

Ceiling mount fixtures are pretty standard for ambient lighting, and are ideal in entry foyers, hallways, bedrooms, task areas and stairways.  

Chandeliers are great for general or ambient lighting in dining rooms or bedrooms.

Wall-mounted fixtures, usually sconces, can be used in any room for ambient, task, or accent lighting, depending on where you put them and what kind of bulb you use.

Pendant lighting fixtures hang from the ceiling and are equipped with shades to avoid glare.  They are used for task or general lighting, and work best over dining room tables, countertops or other work areas.

Recessed lighting can be used anywhere for general, task or accent lighting, depending on how bright they are and where they’re located.

Track lighting can be used for pretty much anything, and is especially versatile because you can point the individual bulbs in whatever direction you want – as an accent to highlight some artwork, or to illuminate the whole room.

While 2020 does not bring any major changes in lighting design, there are several noteworthy trends for home light fixtures.

One of the rising trends today is using soft gold lighting fixtures.  They come in a variety of styles and designs, and are used to attract attention to specific corners or areas.

We’re seeing the ‘‘upgraded industrial’’ or modern retro style in home lighting. The retro fixtures now have finer details that look more like a form of art; the design is sleeker and with more varied tones and alternative designs than previous industrial trend.  You can use modern retro lighting to create a unique twist to any area, such as the kitchen work area, above the dining area or as wall lighting.

Art Deco and Mid-century Modern designs are seen in more and more homes, with their clean lines, unique designs and a balance of form and art.  Art Deco lighting is an artful lighting style that focuses on sharp lines and attractive geometric designs, while mid-century modern lighting features natural shapes that combines functional form and aesthetics.

Overall, bigger fixtures are trending – they act as centerpieces, attracting great attention and creating a “wow” factor.  For best results, use them in central areas where they can create the maximum effect, and consider balancing them with smaller fixtures around the room.  For instance, use large pendant lighting fixtures over the kitchen island, over the dining table, at the foyer and along exterior footpaths.

Smart fixtures and lighting systems, which allow you to control your home lighting in a new way, are now among the top request for residential interior lighting. The look of the covers are sleek and modern, more appealing than a typical switch.  With the new technologies, you can set up your interior lights, even when not at home, to switch on at a specific time; connect it to Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri for voice activation; connect with your GPS location, so when you are near your home the lights will automatically turn on.  Some technologies, such as Lutron, also work on their own hub, so the lights will still work even if the Wi-Fi is disabled.

While it may not be feasible for some people to set this up in their entire home, you can install the smart lighting system in the main areas of the home, such as the foyer, living room, and kitchen.

As far as the bulbs, more and more people are switching from the traditionally used incandescent bulbs to other more efficient and environmentally friendly forms of lighting.  LED lighting offers money and power saving properties, plus it lasts much longer than incandescent bulbs, and comes in a variety of styles.  LED lamps are a great choice when you want a unique design for your home, since you can pick from multiple colors, brightness, and shapes.  Their cost should decrease, as the technology gets better and adoption of LED lighting goes up.

Finally, the best lighting design is one that you will love and which will work best for your lifestyle.

Home remodels and renovations is something we absolutely love doing at Home One – so if you’re thinking about remodeling or renovating in Lancaster PA or surrounding areas, our experienced electricians are ready to help you find the solution that best fits your needs.

From small and simple, to large and challenging – we welcome all kinds of home improvements and give each project our best!  Contact our handyman services at Home One and set up an appointment with our knowledgeable electricians today – or request a service/estimate.