2018 Trends in lighting design
Looking at how technology and new designers are shaping today’s lighting design, we discuss the key trends seen at Euroluce 2017 [Milan Design Week] and the London Design Fair 2017.
Nomadic lighting/LED
Wireless and on-the-go lights are becoming increasingly popular. Driven by improvements in battery life, the wide availability of LEDs and the convenience of wireless charging and USB ports. The new designs also allow for a more fluid movement around the home and outside spaces. At this year’s Euroluce, the Milan lighting fair, brands were seen to be focusing more on LED technology and how lighting can adapt to modern lifestyles; this echoes the trend of multi-functional living spaces in modern homes.
A stand-out example of this is NOX by Danish brand Astep, and designed by Alfredo Haberli. NOX is a contemporary lamp that provides 15 hours of light and is charged through wireless electromagnetic induction. Other notable pieces include the UNPLUGGED by Philippe Starck for Flos, that has long been a desired buy, along with the characterful FOLLOW ME lamp by Inma Bermudez for Marset.
Better design offerings and technology advancements mean that there is a thought that eventually mains-powered lighting through cables will disappear; industry leaders Philippe Starck and Flos CEO Piero Gandini are in agreement that cordless lighting will come “very very fast.” – watch this space.
Balancing / Art of Motion
Art in a functional product: sculptural lighting is now being seen across all major lighting brands. Taking inspiration from mobiles and art, designers are playing on balance and motion in their lighting displays. A style taken up by London-based designer Michael Anastassiades in his work with Italian lighting company Flos, and now his own work.
The use of brass and architectural light fixtures is now set to be a trend we will see transcend over the next few seasons. Pieces of note include the VOLTA collection designed by Nahtrang Studio for Estiluz in 2016. More recently Marset’s COPERNICA collection won the 2017 Interior Design HiP Awards at NeoCon for their achievement in design. The new collection is based on the act of balance and motion with a counter-weight design, launching 2018.
Coloured glass and light
Coloured glass and the playful techniques where light is diffused through a product is becoming more avant-garde as manufacturing techniques improve and the trend for maximalism continues — echoing back to the Italian Memphis movement in a grown-up way. Think translucent coloured glass, detailed shapes and colour-changing materials, all in the name of Chroma. Reference Verner Panton’s 1971 light the PANETELLA, re-launched last year in a mini version with 11 colours, reimagining his initial colourful designs.
A champion of colour and translucent materials, Italian design-brand Kartell’s range of lighting includes the FL/Y collection designed by Ferruccio Laviani. Made out of transparent methacrylate the light is available in many colour variations and sizes. The use of coloured glass in lighting is also seen in Ilide’s ETICA collection where the use of a porcelain inner tube gives a warm orange glow when lit.
Other notable mentions from this year’s Euroluce include the Lollipop by Borise Klimek for Lasvit, and Voie Lights by Sabine Marcelis for Bloc Studios which is composed of a marble block, through which a hoop light pierces to allow light to diffuse through the stone — a perfect reference of mixed materials in modern product design.
The New Chandeliers / Pendant lighting
Referencing balance as mentioned before, a new era of chandelier design is taking place with brands bringing statement pieces into modernity. American brand, Roll & Hill is a great example of a young lighting brand bringing statement pendants and chandeliers to a modern audience, collaborating with designers such as Jason Miller to create BAUER, in a nod to art deco design the fixture is made from stacked concentric tub lure glass clusters which fade from dark to light.
Bolder examples can be seen in Studiopepe’s interior design for a house in Milan, whose use of bold, metal statement pendant lighting adds a stark contrast to the softness of the textile draping around the dining room (header image). In a different approach, the VERTIGO SUSPENSION light by French-brand Petite Friture verges on the ethereal and graphical with its ultra-light fibreglass structure.
Modern-or-classic bolder, bigger, statement lighting features are becoming commonplace in interior design. Rather than fitting in seamlessly into the surrounding space, an eye-catching pendant light is becoming a key requirement in modern interiors.
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