Circular pendants for more lighting over the island.
Interior lighting is a central aspect of your home’s design. You can manipulate your home’s atmosphere just by how you position the lighting and the kind of fixtures you use. Lighting design also changes from room to room. What works in the living room will not necessarily work in the kitchen or the bedroom. The lighting has to reflect the functions and feel of each space. Like any other part of interior décor, lighting design keeps changing. Technology is one reason for these changes. As manufacturers come up with advanced fixtures and bulbs, homeowners incorporate them into their homes. While 2022 will not bring any radical changes in lighting design, there are several notable trends every homeowner should take note of.
Trend #1. Brass Will Remain As The Popular Finish
Elegant spherical lighting with brass finish.
Since we are expecting warmer colors for this year, brass finishes and fixtures are here to stay. Homeowners have fallen in love with earthy and warm tones. Brass falls right within this spectrum of warm colors that work so well for contemporary decors to choose for your remodel. It borrows the soft matte finish of these two hues while bringing out the warmth and mellowness of gold. This also means that it can blend in with almost any kind of décor from modern urban to farmhouse.
Trend #2. Minimalistic Bathroom Lighting Trends
Classic wood sconce for this bathroom vanity.
Elegant but simple sconce in this bathroom.
We are talking a lot about lighting throughout your whole home, but lets narrow in on bathroom lighting. In bathrooms (put link here?) there are often several focal points, whether its a big statement piece vanity, a large walk in shower, or a free standing tub. Therefore, the lighting in the bathroom is suppose to be minimalistic and not distract away from the design, it is there to compliment but still give enough light that you need. Just because the lighting trend is minimalistic does not mean you still can not have pretty and decorative lighting. As long as it is not the main focal feature or takes away from the design you are in the clear!
Trend #3. Geometric and Symmetric
Beautiful Geometric light
Who doesn’t love good symmetry? Geometric and symmetrical lighting is timeless. They have clean lines and they since they balance each other out, it can either be the focal point in your space or it can be the perfect compliment to the design. With this trend, you can have multiple of these and change the length on them to give the space dimension and make the space feel larger. Most of the time, geometric and symmetrical lighting is open and it’s not distracting therefore, it does not take anything away from the beautiful space.
Trend #4. Less Clutter, Cleaner Lines
Smooth clean line canisters that mimic candle holders.
Modern décor is based mostly on clean forms. Whether it is a modern couch, a modern kitchen or modern lighting, excessive ornamentation is losing favor. Older lighting fixtures often feature ornate metalwork. But in a modern home, the complex designs may not blend so well in a clean styled space. So today, homeowners are opting for simpler and cleaner lighting designs that fit in perfectly among modern decors. The minimalism trend will become even more popular in 2022 as more low-profile fixtures enter the market. These fixtures focus on simple geometric designs, neutral soft colors and a prominence of form over extravagant aesthetics.
How to use it: You can work modern clean lighting into any space in your home whether it is the living area, kitchen or bedroom. It works best as a statement piece, especially when used overhead, creating a simple yet bold look. Let the lighting fixture stand on its own without being crowded by other fixtures. It really pops when used as a reading lamp, overhead light or accent piece.
Trend #5. LED’s are Getting Cheaper
Illuminated overhead cabinets using DIY LED lights.
Incandescent bulbs are very wasteful. Most of the power is wasted in the form of heat. This is why there has been a big push to change over to other more efficient and environmentally friendly forms of lighting. More and more homeowners are changing over to LED lighting for it’s money and power saving properties, which is far more efficient and lasts for much longer than incandescent bulbs. Another advantage of LED lighting is the variety of styles available. You can get LED lamps in multiple colors, brightness, shapes and so on. They are a great choice when you need a unique design for your home.
Currently, the major downside to LED lighting is cost. While they will save you some money in the long run, the purchase cost is quite high compared to other lighting options. Most homeowners can only afford to replace one lighting fixture at a time. The cost of LEDs should become lower in 2022 and beyond as the technology gets better and adoption of LED lighting goes up. Soon, homeowners might just be able to change over to LED all at once.
Trend #6. Bigger is Better
The two traditional light fixtures look like classic lampshades.
For certain areas of the house, homeowners are falling in love with bigger fixtures. The aim is to create a “Wow” factor and attract instant attention. More than lighting, these fixtures act as centerpieces. Some come with ornate designs that focus all the attention in a space on the fixture. Large pendant lighting fixtures can be used over the kitchen island, over the dining table, at the foyer and along exterior footpaths among other areas.
How to use larger fixtures: Using larger fixtures requires a lot of care. For best results, use it in a central area where it can create the maximum effect. You can balance it with smaller fixtures around the room to create a nice overall look.
Trend #7. Smart Technology
Manage your lighting through remote controlled functions.
Of course smart technology is entering into other areas of life, but did you know it is now a top request for residential interior lighting? Caseta by Lutron allows you to control your home lighting in a new way. Even when you are not home, you can set up your interior lights to come on at a specific time to make it look like someone is there. This system can be easily installed and can connect to Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri for voice activation. The look of the covers are sleek and modern, more appealing than a typical switch. This technology also has the ability to connect with your GPS location, so when you arrive near your home, the lights will automatically turn on. One pro of this technology is that you don’t need to purchase smart bulbs for them to work, making it more affordable to change out the lights in your home. Another pro is that Lutron works on its own hub. This means it doesn’t work on your wi-fi, so the lights will still work even if the wi-fi is disabled.
Where to use them: While it may not be feasible for some people to set this up in their entire home, it is best to place the Caseta by Lutron in the main areas of the home, such as the foyer, living room, and kitchen. This will allow you to use the features in the most visited spaces.
Trend #8. Vintage with a Modern Twist!
Modern/Vintage light fixtures for this basement bar!
Vintage styles with a modern twist are making a come back! We expect to see vintage looking fixtures but with a modern upgrade such as new materials and a cleaner look. Vintage styled light fixtures help create a unique focal feature in your home. They look very different than modern styles and help give the home character.
Go With Your Style
Do not feel any pressure to choose a specific style. The best lighting design is one that you will love and which will work best in your home. The above trends are meant to give you an idea of what you can do with your home lighting in the coming year whether you are renovating or building a new home.
