With so many lighting options today - chandeliers, lamps, recessed cans, pendants and more - decorative lighting is probably one of the most important accessories a homeowner can buy. We should know too since several of the Home Intel editors are remodeling and in the process of shopping for new lighting fixtures to compliment their updated spaces.
Photo Courtesy of MyInteriorDecoration's Weblog
Following are three decorative lighting trends we’ve seen in stores and homes over the past few months:
- Larger Fixtures - You might be amazed at the size of lighting fixtures today, especially for dining room and foyer/entryway chandeliers. In every store we have visited we noticed an extensive selection of large fixtures like chandeliers. According to HGTV this may be because the average size of the American home has increased over the past few years, which has led manufacturers to create larger home decor accessories and lighting options to better fit the spaces they are designed to fill. People with bigger homes need larger decorative lighting fixtures to fill the space and handle today’s more energy efficient bulb options.
- Energy Efficiency – It’s no surprise to see that the interest in energy efficient options is continuing to rise. More and more consumers are looking for efficient options to save both energy and money. Low-voltage bulbs and related lighting fixtures continue to grow in popularity and use, as CFLs and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) offer a higher quality, warmer light than just a short time ago.
- Pretty Pendants - Every store we’ve visited had a surprisingly large selection of pendant lighting. These options are being used over open kitchen counters, breakfast tables, and islands. One store owner told us pendants are extremely hot sellers today. In fact, in addition to seeing these at every store we shopped, we’ve seen these in a number of open houses lately, especially in the more modern, higher-end homes. “Fixtures like mini pendants are being added as decorative accents and they frequently match or at least compliment the chandelier in the dining room, particularly if the rooms are close together,” says Jeffrey Dross, trends analyst for Kichler Lighting in Cleveland, Ohio
According to the American Lighting Association, it is important to remember that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to selecting fixture styles. Today, it is considered perfectly acceptable to mix and match opposing styles to create an interesting and surprising complementary look.
For more information on lighting trends check out:
Photo Courtesy of ThisOldHouse.com
