Keri and Natasha just flew back home from lighting market in Dallas and, boy, are their arms tired (sorry, couldn’t resist). Lame dad jokes aside, it was a whirlwind but worthwhile trip. There is so much value for our customers when our lighting team can see fixtures in person vs. just cataloged online or in a printed book. Browsing through new styles and finishes in person is so helpful to our team back in the showroom as they assist you. We have curated a select group of lighting lines to carry at Village Home Stores. We want to offer our customers a variety of choices for home lighting and keep with the level of quality our customers have come to expect from our store.
We catalog thousands of light fixtures and there is just no way to represent them all in our showroom. Visiting these lighting showcases in person allows our experts to see and experience our collections with hands on the product. New features and finishes can be seen in real time and the impact and scale of some of these lights can be felt firsthand by our team. Training sessions in our showroom and trips to market like this help equip our lighting experts better to help guide you in the showroom during your lighting appointments. So, what lighting trends did we spot at market in 2022? Here are 10 of our favorite categories:
1. Statement LEDs
Wall art is fun to shop for… but what if your dining room light WAS the art? Statement fixtures are becoming such a great way to express your personal style in a dining room, entry, or other areas of the home. Our team spotted countless examples of this trend using LED lighting. LED lends itself so well to creative statement lighting designs because it is low profile and can be easily conformed with the light’s shape. Instead of bulbs seeming to be extending off a fixture, the LED lighting radiates off the fixtures shape and form on its own. The form of the fixture makes a statement and becomes art itself.
2. Lovely Lanterns
A shape as classic as any, lanterns have been lighting the world for centuries. This shape isn’t really a trend because it will always remain a classic. There are, however, many takes on the classic shape trending including stylized Japanese lanterns (shown above) and large-scale open pendants for kitchen lighting (shown below). Foyer lighting, pendants, and of course, exterior lighting are all categories that lantern shapes are common. Open-frame lantern shapes are a great lighting option for open concept spaces, like the LeClaire Iowa great room shown below. We have come a long way from the lights of ancient Rome but the oil in our lamp is still burning for this classic shape.
3. Bright Whites
You know that our appliance sales team wants to set your household up to keep your whites bright in the laundry room… but now our lighting team is on board too. We spotted white finishes in every category of product and from multiple vendors. Sconces, vanity lighting, chandeliers, pendants, even ceiling fans! White finishes (both matte and glossy) were around every corner. Mixed metals were still very popular in the showrooms we visited and white finishes were often paired with brass and chrome metals.
4. Natural Woven Dome Pendants
Woven woods and natural elements were trending at market. Oversized basket pendants and woven shades of all shapes offer up texture and warmth to a space. Woven cane or “caning” is a big trend in all home furnishings currently and we even saw some light shades with caned textures. With modern vintage aesthetics and Japandi-styled Minimalist spaces filing up everyone’s Pinterest and TikTok feeds, woven woods are a common thread. Have an outdoor entertaining space? Ask Keri or Natasha about a wet-rated woven pendant fixture for your covered porch or outdoor dining room.
5. Pretty Petals
The snow is piling up here in the Midwest, but at market florals were sprouting up everywhere. Floral buds, flower, and petal shapes in many interpretations. This trend hit a little different that years past though. The flora influences we noticed weren’t as literal. Instead, a stylized and modern take of the flower and petal shapes were highlighted. Since flowers aren’t metal naturally, these stylized interpretations are more playful and fun in the chandelier's sconces, and pendants we saw. We even saw some ceiling-hugging fixtures with some real “flower power” (shown below).
6. The Shade of it All
There were a lot of fixtures with clear and textured shades that were highlighted when turned on. If you haven’t noticed yet in the aisles at Target or from the ads on TV, the 90’s are making a BIG comeback in graphic design and home interiors. Clear and colored acrylics and lots of curves (above in the middle) are fun takes on this trend. Not just solid shades on lighting, there were plenty of playful beaded lights too! An overall shade trend that Natasha noticed was that less clear glass and exposed bulbs were seen. Instead, more white or frosted glass shades are being offered for fixtures. The lighting team also noticed that metal shades were a common option for not just pendants but wall sconces and vanity lighting.
7. Fabulous Folds and Flutes
Speaking of shades, we noticed lots of textured shades on fixtures. Folds, flutes, reeds, scallops, whatever you call these peak and valleys, they were spotted on many lights at market. Fluted and scalloped woods are popping up in cabinet trend forecasts and already showcased in home furniture and accessories. We saw metal, fabric, and glass shades that embraced this trend in home lighting options.
8. XXL Exterior Lighting
The exterior of your home is truly the very first impression you will make on guests. We have noticed a trend with our new home customers to larger scale lighting selections. We left Keri in the image above just for scale so you can see the size of these fixtures. We often suggest medium or large-scale fixtures when the scale of the front entrance seems to need it (see the exterior of a Quad Cities home below). Having the wrong size fixture can be a true style bummer because small, “squatty” exterior sconces can really look out of place and easily become lost on a large entrance. When you work with our lighting experts, we can show you examples of sizes in the showroom to give you a better idea what may be right for your needs.
9. Curves and Arches
Not every permanent fixture in your home needs to be so serious. Why not loosen up a little with some curves and playful lines? It was evident that Mid Century Modern design influence is still strong in a lot of the lighting collections being offered as we head into 2022. Round orbs, curved edges, and arches all lend themselves to this aesthetic. If you want a space to seem more welcoming and approachable, curved lines can always soften the feel of a space.
10. Get in Line
Not everyone wants curvy and playful lines in their spaces. For some of our customers, cleaner lines are desired. Straight and serious lines were also spotted from our lighting companies. Many times, low-profile, LED lighting was incorporated to champion the lines and edges of a fixture. There is also a definite response to customers asking for picture lighting that looks more current. Ask our team about your options to light your wall art or and art niche in your home.
Video Recap of 2022 Lighting Trends Spotted at Market
There is so much to share from our trip to Dallas that we made it a segment for our TV show! Press "Play" below to see.
Ready to update the lighting in your new home? Need a light list prepared and help selecting a whole new home of lighting? We are here to help! You can text with our team to reach out right now using the webchat button or complete this short online form to request an appointment or quote. If you are a new home customer, be sure to ask about our bundle program. You can bundle your purchases throughout our store and earn FREE lighting for your home. Learn more about our lighting department and this bundle program here.
The Village Home Stores award-winning lighting showroom is open to the public and located at 105 S State in downtown Geneseo, Illinois 61254 The showroom is open Monday-Friday from 9am to 5pm and Saturdays from 9am to noon. You can phone our showroom during these hours at (309) 944-1344. We are also able to meet by appointment if needed.