Top 5 Lighting Trends of the Las Vegas Market

After five days filled from top to bottom and hour to hour with all of the boldest, biggest, and best names in design, the spectacular 2017 Las Vegas Market is finally coming to a close.

Perhaps you couldn’t make it out to the entertainment capital of the world or were comfortable not braving the 100+ temperatures, or even if you did, maybe you—understandably—couldn’t cover all 5 million+ square feet of the sprawling market. Worry not: we’ve got you covered. Over the course of several upcoming articles, we’ll break down the most exciting trends to come out of Las Vegas this summer.

First up to the plate, we have the part of design that illuminates all others—that is to say, lighting.

Oversized pieces

The burgeoning craze for minimalism in interior design means that while rooms may have less in them, each of those few pieces have to make more of an impact. The appeal of a minimalist décor comes not from ornate details or overwhelming luxury, but from broad strokes and bold first impressions, and there’s no better way to make one than with a central, oversized lighting piece to command the attention. The hanging lights from Bobo Intriguing Objects are a perfect example of the aesthetic draw of large fixtures with a simple but impressive design. Four Hands’ chandelier below is more ornate, but would still pack a big, one-note punch as the center of a room.

Geometric Shapes

Geometric motifs have exploded in popularity, from home décor to personal items like stationery and jewelry, and lighting is not about to be left out. Crisp silhouettes, intersecting lines, and regular shapes are the name of the game. Current design is a collision of clean symmetry and innovative re-combinations of classic shapes, taking an old motif and making it fresh again. This piece, another one from Four Hands, feels both familiar and unique with its repeating triangles and perfect spheres in a visually exciting arrangement.

Caged Lighting

The soft, muted diffusion of shaded light may still have its place in reading nooks and bedrooms, but more and more the generation of decorators and homebuyers are looking for bold, bright choices. The happy medium between a lightshade and a bare bulb is a cage-like covering to add shape without interfering with the light. Of course, most pieces are not literal cages like the chandelier from Elle Concepts. The piece from Gabby, for instance, is much more minimal. However, it still clearly accomplishes the same task of providing cohesion to the fixture without lessening its impact.

Retro & Vintage

Perhaps surprising no one, throwback designs are back in a big way. Edison bulbs, bubbled glass, aged metal, Mod sensibilities, you name it—if it’s from before the millennium, it’s all the rage. One or two older (or at least older-inspired) pieces will complement a shabby-chic kitchen or provide the perfect contrast to a slick new interior. There is perhaps no better way to indulge the sense of nostalgia which increasingly defines our contemporary aesthetic sensibilities than through how you choose to illuminate your living space. Pieces like the above table lamp from Pacific Coast Lighting or these floor lamps from StyleCraft have a certain element of rawness which can really liven up an interior.

Warm Metals

Out with the cool, refined sheen of silver and stainless steel, and in with the sunny glow of brass, copper, and gold. Whether burnished to a shine or roughed by a patina of age, the warmth of red and yellow toned metals is increasingly desirable. Copper has a rustic appeal, while brass and gold can lend an air of luxury and cheerful excess. Silver calms, but gold excites—it doesn’t just reflect light but seems to possess an inner glow which can make a room feel like a living presence in its own right. Whether it’s the array of gold pieces from Arteriors or the leather-and-copper fixtures from Bobo Intriguing Objects, the interaction of the light and the warm metals throws a welcoming cast over everything it touches.