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Here at SunLake, we think a lot about lighting. The way you light your space is something uniquely yours. Our goal is to provide you with the light sources you need to illuminate your space your way. But what way is that? Most of us are mindful of trends in our daily lives. What music is popular? What’s the latest fall fashion? Where’s the hottest new restaurant? What movie or show is everyone talking about? Trends change, sometimes very quickly. Some things like blue jeans or a little black dress never go out of style. Others, like, say, the Spin Doctors have one or two hits and vanish completely. Some trends are the Spin Doctors. Others are Levi’s. But how can you tell which is which?

Your lighting is likely something that doesn’t change much. Unless you’re moving a lamp from one room to another, changing your lighting is something that probably doesn’t happen often. It’s complicated, cumbersome, and, perhaps even a little intimidating. So how can you ensure that whatever lighting you do decide to install is as durable as a really good pair of jeans?

Here we’ve compiled some of the hottest trends we see sticking around for the 2020s.

Vintage

It’s been said before that everything old is new again. And it seems nowhere is this more true than in lighting. Vintage and reclaimed fixtures never seem to go out of style. There are some caveats to this of course. No matter how old it is, poorly designed fixtures are poorly designed and ones made of cheap materials are still made of cheap materials. There’s a difference between “vintage” and “old.” Vintage has charm, enduring appeal, quality, imperfections, patina, or something perhaps undefined that draws you to it. Old is just that: old. Not inherently interesting or of good quality. Old is easy to come by. Vintage is a bit more difficult. Luckily these days there are options for new fixtures with retro styling. Fixtures evocative of the 1940s with frosted glass and strong lines, dark metals, decorative glass, wire cages, and mottled bronze finishes, these will all serve you well going into this new decade.

Oversized

Even in a small space, it’s okay to go bold. If you have low ceilings, you may not want to put a huge fixture where anyone’s going to bump their head on it. But consider a massive, oversized floor lamp. If you do have room for a bold chandelier, or an outsized wall sconce, go for it! It will help definite your space and bring a real point of focus to your room. Oversized fixtures can be quirky but they can also be striking and striking never gets old.

Moroccan

There’s simply no other way to put this: Moroccan light fixtures are simply stunning. The fixtures themselves, often made of brass or copper and perforated with tiny holes that, in and of themselves, are beautiful, but cast spectacular light when illuminated from within. These fixtures are sure to grab attention and they look great in almost any space. If you have low ceilings, you may want to opt for a moroccan table or floor lamp rather than a ceiling fixture in order to get the full effect of the patterns it casts when lit.

Bare Bulbs

Back at the birth of the light bulb nearly the only kind of electric illumination people could get was a bare bulb in a single socket. Quickly, as electric light became more ubiquitous and affordable, fixtures popped up that mimicked candelabras, oil lamps, and the like. However, bare bulbs still retain a measure of elegance and, especially with the advent of vintage-style LED filament bulbs, are seeing a resurgence. There are many light fixtures these days that are designed such that the bulb itself is the focal point. Whether that’s a series of string lights with A19 filament bulbs, a vintage wall sconce, or a sputnik-style chandelier with opaque G25 globe bulbs, showing off the light source itself is very much here to stay.

String Lights

String lights are definitely not just for the outdoors. Increasingly people are finding ways to accent their space and even provide soft mood lighting with the inventive use of string lights. Wrap a headboard, string them across the ceiling, make a modern art sculpture with them on an otherwise blank wall, create a unique chandelier clustering a bunch of them on the ceiling. The possibilities are endless for these versatile, relatively inexpensive beauties. While there are many kinds of string lights on the market, we recommend the kind with replaceable E26-based bulbs. You can use vintage-style LED filament bulbs which won’t overheat, last forever, and in the unlikely event any do burn out, you can easily replace them without having to toss the entire thing as you would with a string with integrated lights.

Industrial and Barn Lights

Industrial lights where they “don’t belong” is a growing trend that seems to be gaining momentum. Often paired with the idea of incorporating oversized fixtures or fixtures that feature bare bulbs, industrial and barn light fixtures can wind up crossing into other categories at the same time. The big, bold, often weathered and worn look of industrial fixtures adds a sense of daring and purpose to any room. Beautiful in their simplicity and utility, these lights will last forever, provide more than enough light, and will never go out of style.

Pipes

Another type of fixture that spans multiple categories, pipes are all the rage. Industrial, stark, compelling, and often featuring bare bulbs, pipe fixtures are gaining popularity. They can be small, featuring only a single bulb, or large, spanning many feet across a wall or ceiling. Made as table lamps, floor lamps, sconces, installations, ceiling lights, chandeliers, or pendants, they are versatile, beautiful, durable, and can even branch into our next category: DIY.

DIY and Repurposed

Many of us are finding ourselves home a lot more these days, living in and using our space in ways we maybe never previously considered. As we find things we could improve or just things we want to change, DIY projects are a great way to do just that. Repurposed and DIY lighting is taking off in a big way. As people are clearing out their storage spaces and looking to de-clutter their lives, a lot of “worthless” or at least extraneous items are being upcycled into newer, better things. An old colander or even old, rusty cheese graters can find a new life far from the garbage heap or recycling yard. DIY light fixtures are often easy to make as most of the components can be easily and inexpensively purchased at any hardware store. The limit truly is your imagination.

No matter your style, the size of your room, or the age of your building, there are endless interesting, trendy, and uniquely “you” options out there. Don’t forget to layer your light - you can’t count on just one single fixture to provide you with all the light you need. You’ll still want to focus on the balance between ambient, decorative, task, and accent lighting. But hopefully you can go forth with a bit more confidence that the lighting you pick is going to last both in its function and its form.

Whether you decide on bare bulb fixtures, heavily shaded lamps, string lights, or a DIY project, SunLake Lighting has the bulbs you need. Here is just a small sample of what SunLake has to offer. Click here for even more options.