Interior lighting is often the finishing touch that entirely transforms a space, and this has never been truer than it is today. With continuous redesigns and developments in lighting technology, the trends are quick to change and continue to flourish. Indoor and outdoor lighting company, Festive Lights, highlights some lighting trends for 2018 and how they can be incorporated into spaces.
Gold & Copper
There’s a new finish in town: chrome, silver and pewter are out; the warmth of copper and gold are in. These softer colours pair well with grey and “greige”, which have seen a huge rise in popularity over the past couple of years, outshining beige as the new neutral in interior design.
The most popular way we’ll see gold and copper work in lighting fixtures is with a brushed and matte finish rather than the brassy and shiny golds of days gone by.
LEDs on a budget
Over the past few years, there has been a huge push to be more environmentally friendly, and being more efficient in the home and in artificially-lit spaces is a big part of this. Gradually, over time, consumers have been making the transition to LED lighting to save on money and energy. However, this has been a process that has taken time since, despite LED lights saving money in the long run, they have been a more expensive upfront option.
This year will see LED lighting finally starting to drop in price, allowing it to be more accessible for those needing to replace large areas of lighting, or numbers of bulbs – such as hotels, restaurants or office buildings. With LED bulbs available in various shapes, colours and brightness, opening the way for unique designs, and with their price soon to drop, their popularity is bound to boom this year.
Bring the outside in and the inside out
In terms of home and interior design in general, bringing the outside in has been a big trend for a long time. Botanicals, plants and flowers have always been popular, but designs incorporating more greenery, succulents and cacti are thriving.
This year, we’ll see this trend extent to lighting; garden design features illuminated by festoon lights, and patios lit up by solar lighting. Vice versa, indoors we’ll be able to incorporate green fabric cables or enamel pendant lights in shades of green to mimic and match the greenery we’re so fond of, or chandeliers designed with twisting branches, twigs and leaves. Combine this trend with the brushed gold by creating your own terrarium light, including twinkling lights, delicate greenery and smoked glass in a gold polygonal frame.
Whimsical
Unicorns, mermaids, dinosaurs and mythical creatures have never been more popular. While these were once thought of as the realm of children’s bedrooms, they’re now being marketed as an interior design scheme in themselves.
Lighting lends itself perfectly to the whimsical nature of mythology; whether that’s with a fairy light canopy mimicking the stars, or delicate shimmering lampshades that give an undersea illusion, highlighted and reflected with mirrors and elegantly draped fabrics. This trend can even blend with bringing the outside in for a unique mystic woodland feel for adventurous homeowners, or one-of-a-kind cafés and architectural spaces.
