9 Popular Lighting Trends To Brighten Up Your Home

As fall approaches, making days shorter and darker, you’ll need all the light you can find! Be proactive this changing season and update your interior lighting to add more brightness to your home.

We asked experienced designers to shed some light on the most popular home lighting trends of the year. Here’s what they said.

Smart Lighting

“Today's lighting trends are influenced by emphasizing personal technology and unique individualism,” said Daniel Levine, trends expert. “Specifically, this is translating into the incremental growth of smart LED lighting.”

Smart LED lighting is growing in popularity because it’s both energy efficient and customizable. Levine said homeowners are beginning to create their own unique designs and lighting fixtures that spotlight the individuality of themselves and their homes.

“In addition to seeing more light setups that are personalized by their owners for color and intensity, we are seeing an emphasis on zone lighting and one-of-a-kind fixtures that speak to a homeowner's unique good taste,” Levine said.

Smart lighting can also help homeowners save money and energy by controlling the lights online from their devices. Sounds like something from the future, right?

If you’re looking to modernize your home and take one step toward living like “The Jetsons,” check out these LED lights:

1. Philips Hue White & Color Ambiance A19 Bluetooth Smart LED Bulb $50
2. Feit Electric 6.5W Vintage Style LED, $37
3. SYLVANIA 60W Equivalent Soft White Bulb, $24

Recessed Lighting

“Clean, bright spaces are very popular at the moment,” said interior designer Gale Sitomer. "However, this can be tricky when translated to lighting because you never want a home to feel sterile.”

If you’re looking for a way to make your home’s lighting contemporary and clean, consider recessed lighting.

“Recessed lighting is a must in creating a bright, evenly lit space,” Sitomer said.

One major trend Sitomer said she’s seen emerging with surface mounted fixtures and lamps is exposed bulbs, either Edison or otherwise, which creates a nice juxtaposition with recessed fixtures.

Sitomer said she recommends her clients use 2700K warmth bulbs because they give a clean look while still having enough warmth to be flattering on skin tones. Check out these other recessed lighting examples:

1. Philips Hue White Ambiance Retrofit LED Downlight - White, $35
2. Puck 1-Light LED Flush Mount, $80
3. Newville 1-Light LED Flush Mount, $150

Industrial Lighting

Just like many trends that reemerge from the past, industrial lighting has made a comeback.

“A major trend that we’ve seen this past year is the return of retro and bright industrial lighting styles,” said Gena Kirk, Vice President of Design for KB Home.

Kirk said popular metallic finishes can help create a refined and tailored look.

If you’re thinking of installing an industrial light fixture in your home, Kirk said she recommends installing it center stage in a living room, kitchen or dining area so that it can have a bigger, bolder effect on your home.

If you’re looking to enjoy a blast from the past with this design trend, check out these modern-day industrial fixtures:

1. Johanne 6-Light Sputnik Chandelier, $83
2. Progress Lighting, $120
3. Gillon Electodyte 8-Light Semi Flush Mount, $149

Statement Lighting

According to Kirk, statement lighting is on the rise as well.

“Lighting is making a bigger statement than ever and customers are looking for pieces that can be dramatic, unique and beautiful,” Kirk said. “Popular pieces range from open traditional to modern lanterns to contemporary silhouettes with the use of unique materials, finishes and beautifully constructed details.”

A statement lighting piece can make any room in your house pop. Here are some examples of how you can take your home to the next level:

1. Willow Leaf Flush Mount, $348
2. Lite Source, $337
3. Madelyn Oval Faceted Chandelier, $728

Swag Lighting

You may not know what a swag light is, but let me start by saying that you don’t need to be a movie star or rapper to put one in your home. A swag light is a light that’s attached to the ceiling but has a cord that plugs directly into the wall. Swag lighting is an easy do-it-yourself project, and it won’t even require an electrician!

Interior designer and architect Angie Lane said her favorite home lighting trend is swag lighting because it’s practical and economical.

“Swag lighting also adds drama,” Lane said. “‘Swagging’ a light fixture halfway across the room is unexpected. For instance, you can use a swag light from the center of the ceiling to become a light over a nightstand.”

Lane said she also uses swag lighting when she has a spot with a lighting fixture that’s not where she wants the light to be. “This happens a lot in older homes where there tends to be one center ceiling light,” Lane said.

If you have an older home or a spot where you’ve always wanted a light or you just want to add a little bit of swagger to your home, here are some swag lighting options:

1. Petaled Pendant, $68
2. Shrewsbury 7-Light Cluster Bell Pendant, $270
3. Eloise Pendant , $148

Fairy Lights

If your home has a bohemian or whimsical atmosphere, furniture and home accessories retailer Nathan Thompson says to consider putting fairy lights in your home. While this trend is not for everyone, Thompson said this was one of the top autumn/winter trends at his company, Pavilion Broadway.

“(Fairy lights) are suitable for boho homes and now come in a range of different styles rather than just the traditional daisy chain or rope fairy lights,” Thompson said. “(Homeowners can) choose from ceramic fairy lights or more embellished glass designs.”

If you’re looking to add some magic to your home and embrace this playful trend, here’s some inspiration:

1. LED String Lights, Sphere, $39
2. Waterfall String Lights, $69
3. USB Fairy Lights, $16

Bringing Your Outdoor Lights Inside

Another one of Thompson’s most popular autumn/winter takeaways was bringing outdoor lights inside.

“Lanterns and tiki lights are having an indoor renaissance with many homeowners choosing to bring the outside in,” Thompson said. “Lanterns work perfectly in a long hallway space and can elicit the emotional response of being away on a yoga retreat within your own home.”

If you’re looking to bring some serenity into your home or you just want to add some creativity to your hallways, here are some outdoor lights you can bring inside:

1. Wood + Rope Lantern, $79
2. Faceted Lantern, $59
3. Chatham Lantern, $119

Gold Lighting

Many rustic, farmhouse fixtures are slowly going out of style and opening the way for modern, sleek metal fixtures, said interior design buff Laura Walker.

“Lighting fixtures are becoming more of an art than just a functional piece,” Walker said.

While shiny, polished brass may not be a homeowner’s first choice, a newer finish of softer gold may catch their eye, Walker said.

She said lighting fixtures are an easy way for homeowners to update their homes and embrace the art of interior design without breaking the bank.

As a reminder for homeowners looking to update their fixtures, “gold is here to stay,” Walker said.

If you want to add a golden flair to your home, check out these lustrous metal fixtures:

1. Modlin Diamond Cage 1-Light Pendant, $99
2. Brookline 1-Light Drum Pendant, $84
3. Bynoe 1-Light Single Globe Pendant , $146

Natural Lighting

We’ve covered all these elaborate lighting trends, but what about working with natural light from the sun?

“There are plenty of popular home lighting trends at the moment, but one trend that no one will ever go against is natural lighting,” said Dmitry Portnoy, Director of Operations at Aztech Doors & Windows. “No one will ever say there's too much natural light in their kitchen or that their windows are too big.”

Portnoy said natural lighting is also very popular because it’s the most energy efficient type of lighting and it will save money on energy bills.

Homeowners can maximize natural light inside their home with skylights, sliding glass doors and windows.

Floor-to-ceiling windows and big bay windows are two of the most popular windows homeowners buy, largely because they allow a great amount of light to enter into the home, Portnoy said.

“Not only do floor-to-ceiling windows and bay windows provide your home with beautiful and natural lighting, but they also enhance the aesthetics of your home dramatically,” Portnoy said.

To let the sunshine into your home, check out these natural lights:

1. Velux Skylight, $154
2. Frameport Window, $325
3. Elk Home Window, $301