Lighting Trends for 2016
2016 brings a host of new lighting trends to incorporate into your home’s décor. Design schemes have lately been characterized by neutral palettes with simplistic, transitional light fixtures. This is quickly changing with 2016’s bold wave of trends for rejuvenating your domestic spaces. Bathrooms can easily be updated by exchanging a tired, Hollywood vanity light with a frosted-glass sconce. Your living room can be transformed by swapping a new, bronze cage chandelier for an old, khaki drum shade. A new light fixture will help revitalize any space, as lighting is moving to the forefront as focal pieces.
Opulent pieces are making a comeback. An easy way to make a room feel grander is with an eye-catching, luxurious fixture. Rather than settling for the clean, understated lines of a simple pendant or a drum shade, instead opt for a regal chandelier. You don’t have to limit these fixtures to your formal dining room, either; elaborate fixtures can help transform your master suite or elevate your foyer. Really, any room in your home can receive an upgrade from a chandelier with artistic flair.
Statement pieces are also trending. Neutral color palettes can help make the fixture a focal point within a room. Whether it’s the post-modern look of an Eichler orb or an eye-catching cage fixture complete with stylized Edison bulbs, statement lighting can give an entire room its own personality. While greige tones can still provide an appealing look for many people, an artisancrafted, glass farmhouse light will leave a lasting impression on all who view your space.
Move over, brushed nickel! Varied metals are returning to fixtures. Copper, bronze, gold, and even brass give new life to lighting. A burnished bronze pendant elevates the transitional feel of neutral colors, giving the impression of expensiveness. A galvanized steel pendant can change a room’s soft, feminine feel to appeal to a broader audience. These pieces can also modernize a space by using geometric lines to combine sharp angles with the warmth of gold tones.
Uniquely shaped fixtures are replacing standard pendants in more and more homes. Try out a brass trapezoid with a large, glass globe, or a claw-footed floor lamp. This can help dictate design choices throughout the remainder of your room while helping the space feel as if it has its own customized scheme. Visually, transitional choices seem to blend together, while interestingly shaped light options will give a space its own personality.
Finally, it’s time to scale up on the size of light fixtures. Instead of multiple small pieces, opt for a large sconce or a chandelier. An oversized pendant or a drum fixture draws the eye and eliminates the need for excessive décor, which can make a room feel cluttered. While you don’t want a fixture to overwhelm or dwarf a room, a larger fixture will stand on its own as a focal point that will translate through many design changes. It will help to ground the space and command the attention of anyone viewing the area. A light of this magnitude will wow visitors; it will remain a talking-point and easily differentiate your home from all others.
These new trends are easy to incorporate into a design scheme and shouldn’t intimidate anyone looking for a simple way to update a room. Explore options that will breathe new life into your décor while appealing to diverse tastes. Don’t be afraid to install an oversized pendant over your breakfast nook, or a French Country-inspired chandelier in your bedroom. Have fun with 2016’s bold new lighting trends, and get ready to revitalize your space!
