Lighting trends, just like interior design trends, change at a fast pace. The lamps that just recently had been all the rage now might be out of fashion. Some trends disappear temporarily just to surprise everyone as they return in a changed form. If you haven’t been following the latest news about what is in fashion now when it comes to lighting, don’t worry. In a moment, we’ll show you which lighting trends reign in 2020.
The Dominant Colors?
Even just several years ago, you could find grey interiors in almost every other room. Grey walls, grey fixtures, and grey floors were supposed to help us avoid distractions. Unfortunately, we quickly realized that even though there might be plenty of distractions in our homes, spending the majority of your time in clean-looking but also cold and soulless rooms isn’t exactly what we crave.
Grey is no longer king. It doesn’t mean that we should all do away with grey couches or grey lamps, but grey no longer should be the dominant colour. It means that there’s nothing wrong if your lamps are grey, but try to make sure that they are balanced out by other elements.
There is no one clear heir; instead, there are several successors. Soft gold has recently gained much in popularity – golden lamps can be found in most shops. They look pretty, but the colour of the finishing isn’t intense, which is why they fit with many different styles and trends.
As we have mentioned before, designers no longer adore all-grey interiors, but the dominance of white has also somewhat waned. Although there are also many different ideas about what should replace all-white interiors, some designers point to brown and black as being one of the most interesting options.
Obviously, entire home painted black would look really depressing, but if you add many elements, such as lamps with sharp and bright colours, you’ll create a surprisingly lively composition.
The Comeback of Retro Lamps
As we are slowly walking away from the utilitarian lighting trends, it’s no longer just about the function, but also about the form. That’s why recently, interior designers started glorifying lamps that belong to another era. They take up a lot of space, but you won’t really mind as they add a nostalgic feeling to the room. They won’t serve as a subtle addition to your house; instead, they will attract the attention of all visitors.
If you want to go with a more authentic retro style, you can choose a retro lamp with an incandescent bulb. However, if you want to be more eco-friendly and choose products that will last for a longer time, you should consider choosing LEDs instead. No matter which type you’ll decide on, vintage lighting is excellent for creating a cosier and safer atmosphere.
It is quite an expensive choice, but retro lamps are worth every penny for their effect on the surroundings. We especially recommend vintage lamps for living rooms and bedrooms, where they will undoubtedly stand out not just as regular lamps, but as true works of art.
What About the Industrial Style?
Industrial lighting is nothing new, though in previous years the approach to this trend has evolved. In the current zeitgeist, the pure industrial style is not really trendy. That’s because it creates a somewhat cold and mechanical atmosphere, whereas lately, the most popular trends are about warmth.
To go with the changing times, the designers have made some adjustments, and now, the industrial style isn’t as cold or brutal as before. It’s been achieved by making some of the elements smooth and glossy, which adds a certain glamour to the look. It’s not by any means extravagant, but the restraint isn’t as firm.
You won’t have any trouble recognizing the industrial style, but the composition won’t create an unfriendly and cold environment, which might surprise you. If you want to decorate your home according to this modern version of industrial style, look for lamps with rustic colours and simple designs.
Mid-Century Modern Style
If you would like to go back in time, but not to the distant past, then Mid-Century Modern Style might be just right for you. It is characterized by clean lines, bold ideas, and a balance between form and function. Apart from that, it creates a sense of nostalgia but also classiness. Still, a certain amount of fun is allowed; it might be classy, but the form can be daring too!
If you would like to follow this lighting design, you should look for lamps from the 1950s with earthy colours, preferably beige. Although their shapes might have once been thought of as serious, nowadays they create the opposite impression and are considered informal and laid-back.
It also might be a great antidote to the boredom in your house. If you think that there are too many white or grey elements in your home, Mid-century modern style can bring some warmth, and create a sense of community.
Eco-Friendly Lighting
Although when it comes to lighting trends in 2020, some of them might be vastly different or even contradictory, all the most popular lighting trends have at least one common quality: being eco-friendly.
It’s not something completely new – for years we’ve been told that we should conserve natural resources and limit our environmental footprint. We can already see the effects of global warming taking its toll in many parts of the world. To minimize the amount of harm we do to Mother Nature, we should be environmentally conscious.
One way of doing that is by using LEDs instead of other, less efficient sources of light. Lighting trends come and go, but it doesn’t seem that this trend will disappear anytime soon. It might be the case that in the future, thanks to advances in technology, we will find a better, more eco-friendly light source, and LEDs start being treated with scorn. For now, though, LEDs reign supreme.
Apart from being friendlier to our planet, LEDs are currently one of the biggest lighting trends because they are durable, and their utility costs are pretty low. It means that although they are more expensive than other less energy-efficient lights, in the long run, they might prove to be a great investment.
The manufacturers of LEDs claim that their products can work for up to 10 years, which is about 20 times longer than a lifespan of a halogen bulb.
Organic Materials & Local Companies and Craftsmen
Yet another lighting trend that promotes being eco-friendly is the use of natural materials. It is not only limited to lighting but rather can be observed in the entire interior design sector. Fixtures and furniture made of glass, wood, or stone look great, but what is important to note is that their manufacturing process is less harmful to our planet.
That’s not all – apart from just using organic materials, more and more people care where the tables, sofas, or interior lighting were created. In 2020, it is very easy to order furniture, or basically, any item that you could imagine from the internet from the other half of the globe.
However, with time, people realized that although globalism has many positive effects, it can also hurt local companies and artisans. Even if it’s possible to order almost the same thing from another country and pay less, more and more people decide to buy local products. It also applies to furniture and interior lighting.
That’s because customers often know the people who sell those products, and they want to have a positive impact on the local community. It also means that there is no need to transport those products over long distances, which decreases the ecological footprint.
Some people who want their homes to be unique, opt for the services of skilled craftsmen. Handmade furniture and lighting are significantly more expensive, and typically the clients have to wait for a long time before the work of the professionals is done. That’s something completely opposite to what we are used to.
Currently some of the major trends, regardless of whether it comes to interior lighting or just interior design in general, are about the manufacturing methods that cost more and take longer but are not completely soulless.
Some of the lighting trends that we have previously mentioned are primarily focused either on function or form, but here, yet another element – history – plays a crucial role. If you choose items for your home on the basis of their functionality, then it is unlikely that you’ll hop on this bandwagon.
Some manufacturers prey on people who seek those “authentic” products by designing their products to make them look like natural materials were used, which is why we recommend doing some research before you decide on where you order lighting for your home.
The Size Does Matter
As you might have already noticed, the lighting trends in 2020 don’t have much in common with minimalism. Some of them are richly ornamented; even the industrial style has evolved, and the lighting design is no longer invariably simple and purely functional. The major lighting trends are more about the form than about the usefulness. The lighting no longer only has to provide enough light – it should also attract our attention.
One of the easiest ways to accomplish that is by making lamps simply bigger. It applies to all types of lighting – to chandeliers, kitchen lamps, but also bedside lamps. In 2020, the size matters, and the lighting design typically is surprising and daring.
Another similar lighting trend is decorating your home with statement lamps. The desired result is the same, though the method of getting there is different. Instead of choosing impressively large lighting, you can double down on the “daring” and “attracting attention” parts. You could choose lighting that belongs to a bygone era, is surprisingly coloured, or that just looks weird. It doesn’t matter; what matters is whether all the guests in your home will be absolutely stunned when they see your statement lamp for the first time.
Smart Lighting
Although we didn’t know it at the time, the invention of smartphones signalled a new era. An era, in which all our devices would be interconnected and synchronized with each other. Smart watches, smart glasses, even smart fridges – all of them can exchange data between their microprocessors so that our lives can be more convenient.
The same is also true when it comes to lamps. With smart lighting in your home, you can program it so that the lights would turn at a specific time. You can also program them to turn off if there is no one home. It is an excellent idea for interior lighting, as it can help you decrease your electricity bills.
On the other hand, if you are planning to go on long vacations, smart lighting could help you protect your home. How? That’s simple – just program it to turn on at a specific time of the day, so that potential robbers would be convinced that there is someone in the house.
Apart from those benefits, smart bulbs are simply convenient – using a smartphone, you can control all the lights in your home without even leaving your couch. Smart bulbs cost more than regular bulbs, but given the fact that in the long run, they might even pay for themselves, we highly recommend them.
Bright Colors
We have previously mentioned that lighting trends in 2020 are not about minimalism, and they are not subtle either. Quite the contrary – customers are increasingly more likely to choose lamps that, instead of merely performing their primary function, are also attracting attention.
They could be large, they might stand out from their surroundings, or they could be brightly coloured. It doesn’t necessarily have to surprise your visitors, although there wouldn’t be anything wrong with that.
Still, it’s not really about the shock factor as much as about replacing dull colours. Some might say that it is distracting, and we would probably agree that it’s best to avoid installing such lamps in offices, but in 2020, most lighting trends are about avoiding boredom.
Bright red or blue lamps can enliven your room to the extent that white or beige lamps cannot. However, lighting with such bright colours usually fits best when there is enough contrast in the room. That’s why we recommend going with this lighting trend only after consideration. There’s nothing wrong with purposefully mismatching lamps in the room, but you should be aware that the effect will be far more dramatic.
Lamps Shaped Like Plants
We are not particularly sure what is behind the growing popularity of lamps that look like plants. It might be a weird attempt to make cubicles more humane, or perhaps those lamps are meant to have similar relaxing effects on our brains as real plants. Whatever is the case, they certainly look enchanting. However, even if you find this trend fascinating, and decide to use it as a source of inspiration, please don’t forget about real plants as well!
What About the Geometric Shapes?
Rarely have we experienced a situation where two opposing styles became popular at the same time, but it is the case with the lighting design trends in 2020. Some of the most sought-after lamps come in complex geometric shapes, but at the same time, free-form lamps are all the rage now.
Geometric shapes can be often found in lighting design, but similar trends have swept all over the entire interior design industry. One of the most notable advantages of geometric shapes is that they are a great match for a multitude of compositions. Depending on their sizes and shapes, they could make a nice addition to a stylish office; and if you want something more daring, then simply go bigger.
Alternatively, if you think that a lamp that doesn’t look like a lamp at all could help you think outside the box, you could check out free-form lamps. Your guests might initially not even know that what they are looking at is a lamp, but that’s the point.
Even if there are plenty of different lighting options available on the market, we are nonetheless used to lamps having vaguely defined shapes. Free-form lamps allow you to leave the familiar grounds altogether and venture into the unknown. We are often fascinated by things that we don’t know much about, which is why it is unsurprising that free-form lamps are a lighting trend in 2020.
Summary
We hope that no matter what your personal tastes are, at least one of the lighting trends in our article has caught your attention. If you think that it is high time that you replaced the lamps in your home, you could use them as an inspiration.
In 2020, lighting is rarely valued for its functionality. It’s not a situation similar to that of smartphones, where a device that we initially used to call each other has evolved to a point where most people wouldn’t consider it to be its primary function.
However, nowadays, lighting is expected to be something more, though there are varying attempts to explain what this “more” really should be. Some people think that lamps should be bright, large, or, at least, weird. We have largely rejected minimalism; now, lamps are required to be interesting, and not merely serve as sources of light.
The use of natural materials and choosing local craftsmen is another noticeable lighting trend. That’s because more people are trying to be eco-friendly. Whatever you choose, remember that most of those trends are likely to disappear in a few years’ time.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with several styles. If you are happy with the composition, it means that it works, and don’t let any interior design experts tell you otherwise.
Image credited to https://theappliancejudge.co.uk/
