New Homes & Lifestyles
Illuminating Lighting Trends
Urban, traditional, Tuscan, Old World Spanish - keeping up with lighting trends can be as difficult as keeping up with fashion. Fortunately like fashion, lighting can be as individual as you want it to be. Thousands of styles, hundreds of manufacturers and dozens of shopping options are available to home buyers and homebuilders. Mass retailers offer the basics but for those looking for real style and personal attention, independently owned and operated lighting retailers are the perfect place to shop.
Lighting retailers have vast product inventories and employ highly trained sales personnel who will share expert advice. These sales consultants provide guidance and can answer all your lighting questions. Their wealth of knowledge and experience makes their services invaluable to consumers, designers and builders. Plus, the extensive supplier base available to them means they can and will find the perfect fit for all of your lighting requirements.
Around every corner it seems a new condominium is rising as we are experiencing a surge in trendy condominium and loft style living. This has led to enormous growth in urban style lighting. Urban lighting today has a soft contemporary look with sleek lines and lots of brightly colored artistic glass. Colored crystal and Murano glass in orange, blue, red and black are becoming particularly popular. For added drama, today's contemporary lighting adds texture, accomplished with hand-blown, sculpted, or twisted colored glass contrasting against sleek chrome finishes.
Some standouts in contemporary lighting include Eurofase and Prospetto along with the stunning European-based company Zaneen. An American notable in contemporary lighting design is the Howard Lamp Company. Based in the small town of Edmonds, Washington, all their clean-lined table and floor lamps are handcrafted using the finest quality materials.
On the other end of the design spectrum from urban contemporary, Old World Spanish style is beginning to replace the Tuscan look that has been popular in many high-end homes and developments. In sharp contrast to the effect of urban lighting, Old World Spanish style brings a rustic elegance to any décor, softening the look of a room. Beveled and etched glass, iron, silver leaf or bronze finishes are characteristic of this Old World look. It has a heavier design, with simple scroll work for a more masculine appeal.
Wall sconces, pendants and oval or rectangular chandeliers are common Spanish Hacienda fixtures. You'll find some stunning examples of Old World lights from well known manufacturers like Savoy, Fredrick Ramond, Fine Art and Kichler. Many Spanish Hacienda designs were prominent at the spring market show in Dallas, where manufacturers launched their designs for 2007 with rave reviews from designers and retailers alike. Showcasing table lamps to chandeliers and everything in between, each year the Lighting Show is the venue for lighting designers and retailers to view and admire the latest major lighting collections.
Crystal chandeliers are continuing to assume more roles in home lighting. Once relegated to the formal dining room, crystal chandeliers now come in all colors adding a stylish, romantic elegance to any dining area or bedroom. Chandeliers are also featured in bathrooms to soften and diffuse the cascading light. Styles of chandeliers, from contemporary to traditional are limitless with an equally impressive price range. Chandeliers with dimmers are typically used to provide ambient lighting to a space.
The term eclectic applies to lighting as well as other decoration schemes. A contemporary pendant hanging over a traditional dining table is like a businesswoman who wears a pair of red stiletto heels with a black business suit, it adds a sense of personality and style. Don't be afraid to mix it up to reflect your personality and individual style.
Lighting can dramatically alter the look of any room and lights today can serve as decorative accessories or works of art. Combining different types of lighting, ambient, functional, mood and accent lighting, can transform a room. However, choosing the right lighting to reflect both the look you desire and the functionality you need can be overwhelming. Hiring a lighting expert can take the guesswork out of this task and make all the difference when decorating any room. Many lighting retailers offer design consulting. Those that provide in-home consultation, working with homeowners, builders and interior designers, have become an asset to homebuilders and buyers alike.
Selecting the right retailer is the key. Look for a lighting retailer with a solid reputation and a large, diverse inventory. A company with a strong homebuilder client base will offer other advantages. The experience working with a variety of builders and a vast array of styles, enables their professional staff to help you design and implement your individual vision. Another benefit from retailers that work with a number of builders is that they usually have a contractor or builder discount structure in place.
Urban contemporary, Old World Spanish, muted or vibrant tones, the right lighting will reflect the unique style and features of your home.
