This is the time of year when reports come out showcasing the year’s style trends. From clothing, to paint colors, to decor styles (and yes, that includes lighting!), there are lists upon lists that showcase what is forecasted to be the most popular items of the year. However, we’re going to approach things a little bit differently.
There is a current movement of creating a home that is a reflection of your style, and not one that strictly adheres to one specific trend. Homes are being created deliberately, with homeowners incorporating pieces that align with their personal tastes. And so, instead of listing flash-in-the-pan trends, we’re going to highlight lighting styles that can seamlessly integrate into your current home, and have staying power beyond next Thanksgiving.
Bubble Lights
Quirky name? Yes. Brings a big style? Also yes.
Bubble lights, or lights with orb shades, bring a retro-chic vibe that can be integrated throughout your home. Bubble lights can be used in a variety of ways.
In chandeliers, the orbs can be tightly gathered together to create a clustered look, or spread out along a linear frame for a more spaced out look. Linear chandeliers with bubble lights create a whimsical moment as a dining room light fixture or over a kitchen island.
Bubble shades on pendant lights use a single orb shade and are often used over kitchen islands. Globe pendants installed over a kitchen island offer task lighting that also double as an artistic element.
Large Scale Lighting
When it comes to lighting, we think that bigger is better. While it’s always important to consider scale when choosing pieces for your space, we want to encourage you to choose the largest light fixture possible for your space. This will give your room some drama, and take it to the next level.
Don’t let your lighting get lost in empty space, particularly in a vaulted living room or entryway. This is the time to embrace the opportunity to go big. Don’t shy away from making a statement; go bold and install that 9-light chandelier or oversized pendant.
Natural Elements
Natural elements like wood, rattan, and cane have been showing up in home decor pieces for a while, and we see them staying strong in 2023. Natural textures warm up a space while also adding textural and visual interest.
Chandeliers with wood accents help cozy up a dining room. Don’t be afraid to mix wood tones, but stick with two tones at most, and make sure that each finish is included more than once. Multiple pieces make a complementary scheme look intentional; one makes it look accidental.
Cane or rattan shades are an easy way to integrate natural elements into your space without breaking the bank, and can easily be moved from room to room.
Layered Lighting
In the theme of “the more the merrier”, layering lighting creates design interest by installing different kinds of lights in one room. While it adds to the overall aesthetic, it also increases a room’s functionality.
Reading a book in your living room? Switch on a table lamp. Using that room for playing board games? Turn on the 8-light chandelier. Sconces, lamps, and overhead lighting can be combined to create a comprehensive lighting scheme that doesn’t rely on a single source.
Add additional functionality by placing some of the lights on dimmers to further adjust the room’s vibe.
Mix and Match Metals
Brass, bronze, nickel. With all of the gorgeous metallic finishes available, it’s hard to pick only one. We’re here to help you rest easy: you can have it all… Or at least more than one finish in your space.
The key to mixing and matching finishes is making sure that they complement your style and that you have a balanced amount of each finish in your space. Add black pendants over your island that pair with brushed brass cabinet knobs. Repeat the finishes with a brass sconce over the sink for additional lighting and a black chandelier over your dining nook.
The black hardware in the kitchen draws from the chair and table legs, as well as the bar stools behind the kitchen island. The nickel finish in pendants complements the tone of carpets, grey streaks and couch fabric. The finishes are not clashing but working together to create cohesive look in this open layout.
Keep the spirit of mix and match when it comes to choosing the final finishes of your metals. Don’t be afraid to mix polished chrome or nickel with satin finishes, or matte black or bronze.
Sconce Wall Lights
If 2022 was about creating a home you love, 2023 is about creating a home you feel good in. And part of that includes creating moods in each room. Wall sconces are a small way to have a big impact in space.
Gone are the days of a solo light fixture being the only light source in a room. Or, as TikTok has not-so-lovingly dubbed it, “the big light”. Sconces are an excellent way to layer lighting so you can customize how you want your room to feel each time you use it. Whether you use them on either side of a fireplace, to highlight a special piece of art, or flanking a bathroom mirror, sconces give an added degree of functionality while creating intimacy through their small lighting footprint.
Lighting as Art
In keeping with the theme of curating your home with pieces you love, we encourage you to think of lighting in the same way, with a slightly different twist. It’s undeniable that lighting has to be functional, but now is the time to also look at the structure and materials of fixtures and how they stand out in your room. Take the time to evaluate lighting like you would a painting: How will this fit in my room? Am I going for subtle or statement?
Bespoke light shades, sculptural chandeliers and unusual materials are all ways to integrate lighting that pulls double duty as art.
If you walk away with one piece of lighting advice, let it be this: Install pieces you love. Your home is your sanctuary and the way you want it to look, and how you want it to feel, is totally up to you. Whether you love traditional fixtures or modern lighting fixtures, embrace your personal style, and let it flow through your house to make a home that is perfectly you.