Since man first entered the cave to find shelter, he has been trying to light up his home. Today, there are a staggering number of ways to do just that. You can even alter your home environment so that it’s sometimes difficult to tell night from day.
Daylighting
Trending on the futuristic scene now, however, are lighting systems that not only simulate natural daylight, but also track the position of the sun in your specific locale, allowing you to adjust to the changing outdoor light all from the comfort of your interior space. The innovative lighting system is said to complement and enhance the body’s natural circadian rhythm, even perhaps contributing to a better night’s sleep!
While that may be more natural than you want to be when it comes to lighting up your interiors, consider these other lighting directions:
Overall Ambience
Lighting designers have traditionally focused on three types of lighting in the home: General (or ambient), Task and Accent. This year, look for better coordination between the various types of lighting, and watch for a shift of emphasis. Not only will we witness improvements in overall home lighting, but we will be lighting up those spaces that are traditionally dark — think long hallways, closets and even drawers. General lighting should become more effective and more stylish. Say goodbye (hopefully) to pull chains in pantries and single-bulb ceiling fixtures in bedrooms.
Specific Task Lighting
Homeowners will see lights in places they’ve never gone before: along kitchen toekicks, on stair treads, embedded in bathroom mirrors, as uplights in the floor, to highlight art or architecture, as “glow in the dark” night lights or mobility aids in the home and in the garden, and for specific uses in garage, workshop and kitchen.
Chandeliers
Pendants and chandeliers of all kinds will find new favor in places you would never expect. They are newly popular to add a bit of drama to master baths and powder rooms, but they are equally effective as accent lighting in a child’s room, a library, on a covered patio or an entry porch. Long a feature over kitchen islands and eating bars, pendants also now hang as reading lights on either side of a bed, as desk lighting that requires no surface, and as trendy additions to a patio or porch.
Efficiency and Energy Savings
Sustainability and green principles have an enormous impact on home lighting design trends. This year will bring more automation. Interior as well as exterior fixtures that are motion and voice activated make sense in terms of convenience and energy, just as solar-powered landscape lighting is environmentally friendly. Technology will foster more programmable lighting systems; they are the way of the future. Even today, available smartphone apps mean you never have to return home to a dark house.
Lighting Quality
You know the mood difference between a cloudy day and a day filled with summer sun. Attitude adjustment may be as easy as altering the color spectrum of your light bulbs. The popularity of LED bulbs will not diminish, but look also for more options in CFLs, halogen bulbs and some specialty types of lighting. Already available are cool, warm, soft, bright and yellow-tone bulbs. The future is almost here. Also, remember to use dimmers throughout the home. Changing the level of light can be nearly as important as assuring the quality of light.
Aesthetic Appeal
There’s no substitute for good looks! Although architectural lighting design trends may change over time, this is a year for individuality. Expect to find any look you want in 2017: rustic, Euro-tech, forged metal, art glass, funky, retro or classic. Picking a fixture you love may be the most difficult part.
The world of home lighting has never shone brighter.