One of the biggest trends in lighting in recent years is the use of glamourous, luxurious light fixtures. This trend goes almost entirely across the board from contemporary to traditional and everything in between. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to opt for chandeliers in every room. Here’s the low down on trendy, glamorous ceiling light fixtures.

Old World Glamour

Light fixtures that reflect an “old world” look are particularly trendy for 2012. Chandeliers are a perfect example of this, but only if you find the right look. You’ll want to opt for chandeliers and other ceiling fixtures that feature plenty of romantic lines, crystals, and beautiful scrollwork. With these light fixtures, you can actually choose just about any finish: silver, bronze, gold or brass tones. For this look, it is exactly that: the look, that you’re after. The finishes you choose should compliment your decor, so be picky.

Other light fixtures that are growing in popularity with the old world trend include wall sconces. Wall sconces that feature beautiful and ornate details, romantic lines and of course, crystals, are a perfect look for this particular trend.

Bright Hues

Surprisingly enough, if you blend the old world trend with a bright color, you get the next trendy look for this year. Chandeliers, wall sconces and even table lamps that feature bright colors for both the finish and the crystals are growing in popularity. They’re a great way to add visual interest and a pop of color to any given space in your home. You can use them in bedrooms, living rooms, even bathrooms and kitchens. They can even be used to create a focal point in a space where none exists.

Great colors to look for include tangerine, fuchsia or turquoise blue.

Drum Shade Light Fixtures

Glamorous does not necessarily translate to ornate, so keep this in mind. The simple but chic look of any light fixture with a drum shade is a great way to add glamour to any space in your home. You can find drum shades on chandeliers, wall sconces, table lamps, floor lamps and even flush and semi flush mount ceiling fixtures. Opt for clean colors with this trend, as a colored drum shade will actually look tacky and not trendy.

Lantern and Caged Light Fixtures

Light fixtures that take on the traditional lantern shape, or light fixtures that feature a cage design, are going to be especially trendy and when done right, they can be surprisingly glamourous. In fact, they can add a surprising touch of elegance to a contemporary space or they can liven up a rustic or industrial space. This trend is a bit more difficult to work with, so be confident in your choice.

Glamorous light fixtures are all the rage for 2012, as people are looking to add luxury back into their home spaces as the economy recovers. With that in mind, don’t forget to invest in light fixtures that you love but also in light fixtures that serve their purpose. After all, if your light fixture doesn’t light your space properly, it’s only been a waste of your time and money. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Were you inspired by the fabulous fixtures in our post? Check out our inventory of glamorous lighting fixtures today!

Trends come and go and lighting is no exception. Light fixtures that are hot today will be completely out in a few weeks, or years, depending on the trend. That being said, wall sconces have come and gone quite a few times in the last few decades. Fortunately, they’re back again and they may be here to stay, or so it seems. Here’s the low down on trendy wall sconces for 2012 and how you can incorporate them into your home.

What to Look For in a Wall Sconce and Where to Find Them

The key thing to remember when it comes to wall sconces is simply this: the wall sconce itself is the trend. That means that you can choose a style that suits your home while still being trendy because the wall sconces as a light fixture are a trend, not any specific style. That being said, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any trends regarding wall sconces! If you’re looking for a double-whammy in terms of trends, you may want to consider using a crystal wall sconce or wall sconces with an industrial or rustic feel. Other trends for this light fixture include clean, contemporary looks, geometric lines, Moroccan inspired wall sconces, and unique Victorian-inspired candelabra style wall sconces painted in a single unique hue such as turquoise or poppy red.

Where to Use Wall Sconces in the Home

Of course, just because you know which wall sconces you want for your space, doesn’t mean you’re completely sure as to where to place them. That being said, you may be surprised to find that wall sconces can go just about anywhere in the home.

In the bathroom, you can use these light fixtures to flank the mirror. This is great for adding some much-needed task lighting to the space and also helping reduce shadowing on the face, which is ideal for putting on makeup. In the bathroom, they can also be used for additional general lighting if needed.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, wall lamps can be used to replace table lamps. This is especially true if you’ve got a tight bedroom space currently and need to free up some table space for other, more important items, such as books or a jewelry box. This same concept can be applied to a living room, family room or den space. If your home has limited space, wall sconce can help free up valuable floor space or table space to create a more livable space.

Of course, the options don’t just stop there. You can use wall sconces as accent lighting to flank a fireplace or a large mirror. You can also use wall sconces to line a hallway to add much needed general lighting, just as you can use them for lining a dining room or a foyer.

The key with wall sconces is to get creative. The fixtures themselves are the trend, but how you use them in your space is entirely up to you. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Are you ready to experiment with the newest and most trendiest wall sconces in 2012? Browse through a large collection of wall sconces today and find the right lighting fixture for you!

At it’s peak, mid-century modern decor had an almost futuristic look to it. That appearance still holds true today thanks to the fluid curves and clean line designs that remain modern still to this day. These same design concepts can be applied to the light fixtures of the time, many of which are still being reproduced today. Here are a few tips and tricks for selecting different mid-century modern light fixtures for your home.

What is Defined as Mid-Century Modern?

The time frame for mid-century modern design occurred beginning in the late 1930s and through to the mid 1960s. Though the time period was several decades ago, the names associated with many of the more famous designs are still well-known, with many still being considered household names today.

What Should I Be Looking For?

If you’ve got some knowledge on the style, you’re likely looking for a specific light fixture by a specific designer. Keep in mind that originals in good condition tend to cost more than newly manufactured reproductions of those same light fixtures today.

Of course, not all of the mid-century modern designs out there feature ‘name brand’ designer names. In these instances, you’ll want to keep an eye out for a few key shapes and specific lines. Mid-century modern light fixtures typically feature clean lines. They can feature curves, but they are strictly no-frills with detailing.

Shapes of mid-century modern light fixtures are typically organic. This translates into soft, flowing curves. Ovular or circular shapes are ideal, especially for ceiling lights. Other shapes that are indicative of the style include hourglass, triangular cones, pillars, tubes, saucer shapes, teardrops and so forth. These are more common in wall sconces (hourglass, tubes or pillars) and pendant lights (triangular cones, saucers, tubes) so keep this in mind when seeking out this style.

The colors of these light fixtures tend to be few and far between. In other words, any fixture that has more than two or three colors is not likely to be deemed ‘mid-century modern.’ Stick to simple color palettes with three or fewer colors. In terms of finishes, brushed metals are common, as are brilliant white shades, pleating and under the right circumstances, high polished finishes.

Of course, this does not mean that mid-century modern light fixtures are lacking in color entirely. It is not uncommon for these fixtures to feature brilliant hues: cobalt blue, lime green, orange, mustard yellow, poppy red, vibrant white and so forth. These are often combined with various metal hues including brass or silver finishes such as nickel or chrome.

Mid-century modern light fixtures can add a great deal of ‘fun’ to any room. In a dining room, an unexpected large-scale saucer-shaped pendant light can be a great conversation starter. In a bedroom, hourglass wall sconces can add a romantic ambience, while pillar wall sconces in the living room can add some much needed extra lighting. Though the style is distinct, it is also very clean in terms of visual appearance, making it an easy style to incorporate into different interior design schemes. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

I hope you enjoyed our post on Mid-century modern light fixtures! For more futuristic looks, check out our selection at Arcadian Lighting!