Lighting Trends

I have already talked about trends and where they come from and a previous blog posts but here Ill talk about current and future trends in lighting. I talked about warm metals previously and this trend looks like its here to stay, polished or satin brass and copper add warmth and luxury to interiors and when used in light fittings these finishes look even better. Increasingly designers are combining decorative metals with natural materials like stone, wood and ceramics including concrete, plaster and unusual hybrid materials like jesmonite, see my 'Ripple Clocks' for an example. Jesmonite can take on all sorts of colours and textures and very closely resemble lots of materials; Portland stone, sand stone, granite, marble and even cast metals like brass and bronze (see image below). I've been playing around with it so watch this space for more jesmonite products from Norris Green Design.Black and white colour combinations never go out of style, embellished with a little polished brass or copper to add a touch of luxury and class. See my Solar Eclipse floorlamp and lampshades for a good example.Tripod floor lamps are making a big comeback, great for slightly uneven floors and perfect for putting in open plan layouts in extra floor space that has become available where walls once were or in corners that need filling. They can be moved around making them a flexible lighting element and perfect to add ambient light or read under.Iridescent finishes have been around for a while but they seem to be becoming more popular. Mimicking mother of pearl and those beautiful colours you see in oils, when done well and in the right context they can look amazing but done badly they can look pretty naff. One of my favourites which has been around a long time and is an example of iridescence done very well is from a company called Bruck Lighting (see below)In terms of styles, Industrial light fittings have been very popular over the last few years and this trend has evolved. Industrial fittings are being modified with bright colour enamel finishes, coloured chords and detailing reminiscent of mid century designs.I've also seen quite a lot of traditional interiors with contrasting contemporary lighting which can work well. Bras and opal glass fittings with minimal deco styles are very popular with interior designers working on new fit-outs for older buildings.A trend which you cannot see but is know trickling down from commercial lighting installations is remote control of lighting in the home. From a smartphone you can now control various lamps from your smartphone, changing the colour temperature and intensity of the light. There is some merit in this to help with sleep and mood, the theory being colder bluer light wakes you up and gives you energy and warmer light can help you relax.I hope you've found this article inspiring!Why not check out our "Bespoke lamp shade"[product_category category="Bespoke Lamp Shade, Smashed, Chromatic Waves, Fibonacci Shade"]