While a neutral palette and classic styling will make your décor scheme acceptable, finding just the right piece to capture the current style, while giving your place the unique feeling of your space is something that every home owner strives for. There are a wide variety of unique light fixtures on the market that do just that. You are sure to find one that is just right for you if you take the time to dream a little and re-imagine your space with some of these fantastic lighting instruments providing more than just illumination.
1. Just Hanging Around
In recent years, pendants have provided task lighting, illuminated areas that would be overpowered by larger fixtures, and added a brilliant pop of color to many interiors. Typically low voltage, available in a huge variety of styles, and great singly or in groups, pendants are a great way to add current trendy styling without reinventing your whole interior, here’s what’s hot!
For a modern take on an industrial look, try pendants featuring classic details and vintage inspired finishes. The sense of history makes you feel like you have seen it before, while the clean, minimalist lines prove that they are worthy of any contemporary interior. These lights are great for providing gravity in contemporary designs, or a touch of the modern in classical spaces. Hinkley lighting offers some great options.- Fabulous kitchen or dining pendants with an edgier sense of style are “where it’s at” right now. Combining retro inspired glass bulbs with elements such as clear glass, or open birdcage shades. Industrial pendants will work well alone, or in small groups. Slightly larger and more dramatic, these pendants will be sure conversation starters. Explore the Kichler galleries for some great examples.
- When glamour is called for there are plenty of pendants to answer the call. From beaded shades, to “old world Vegas” round shades, these fixtures bring sophistication to large and small spaces. They work well as accent light in a larger space, or could stand alone as the central fixture of a small room or hallway. Feiss has some fine glamour inspired pendants.
For a modern take on an industrial look, try pendants featuring classic details and vintage inspired finishes. The sense of history makes you feel like you have seen it before, while the clean, minimalist lines prove that they are worthy of any contemporary interior. These lights are great for providing gravity in contemporary designs, or a touch of the modern in classical spaces. 2. Not a Wall Flower
Today’s wall sconces provide more drama than ever before. Reinventing a page from the past, these great accent lights provide ambiance in hard to light spaces such as hallways and staircases, or create unique accent walls by providing a focal point and shaping the space with highly directed light. These fixtures are a cool way to get a warm new feel in your space.
- Glass shaded sconces can provide color as well as illumination and can be found in up lights, to “raise the roof” in short spaces, down lights to cast light on art, or accent tables, and fixtures that shed low light both up and down for maximum drama. Check out Hi-lite manufacturing for some great retro inspired examples.
- From faux candle sconces to modern, wall sconces with fabric shades add texture and rich detail to your interiors. The soft, intimate light cast by these fixtures is perfect for small seating areas, entry room, or bedrooms. Take a look at Hudson Valley Lighting for traditional fabric shade sconces.
- High tech lighting is hot, and sconces are no exception. From ecologically sound manufacturing, to energy savings, the new frontier has a lot to offer. LED and other alternative bulbs can cut energy consumption drastically, while providing new colors and qualities of light. Meanwhile, repurposed materials and fabrics such as hemp are making the scene and causing quite a splash. If you are a fan of the unique, these lights are for you. Take a look at Tech lighting for some great high tech sconces in their wall lights section.
3. Causing Some Drama
When it comes to making a big entrance even bigger, or taking an already great design scheme over the top, the chandelier has been the go to lighting instrument for centuries. Candelabra styling and glass crystal baubles are only the beginning with today’s chandeliers. When it comes to trends in lighting, the modern chandelier is setting the pace.
- You may think a crystal chandelier is passé, but if you do, you probably have not have met the modern crystal chandelier as re-imagined by companies like Schonbeck. These contemporary masterpieces are the only thing that will do when perfection is the goal. For glamour and sophistication, nothing beats a high quality crystal fixture. Add these to spaces with glamour oriented details, metallic finishes and bright color schemes for a real pop!
- If simplicity is your goal, consider industrial, barn style, or sleek modern. These styles forego pomp and circumstance for clean, simplistic design and maximum impact styling. Complementing your chic design scheme, without overpowering, these lights are just what you need for a little added oomph. Check out the galleries at Elk Lighting for some great renditions of this concept.
- Vintage styling is very popular right now, especially when mixed with modern technology and design. From alabaster shades, to faux-antiqued metal finishes, modern chandeliers are taking old ideas into places they haven’t been before. Whether you want a heavy, cast iron look to anchor down a high dining room ceiling, or a richly detailed, antique inspired feel, today’s lighting makers can provide it. Take a look at Justice Designs for some richly detailed antique styled chandeliers.
4. Old is New Again
With an eye to the future in technology, and a firm grasp on history in design, new and old ideas are being blended as never before in lighting. Take advantage of the wide variety of styles currently available to set the trend you want for your interior. The only way you can go wrong is if you don’t try.
