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Ideas and Inspiration

Aug 23, 2016

Styles

Intro to Top 5 Lighting Styles!

Restoration-Vintage, Transitional, Modern-Contemporary, Crystal & Traditional

Whether you’re looking for lights to create a new overall aesthetic for your house or looking for a new centerpiece, there are plenty of lighting styles that are available to the average consumer. We’ve taken the time to pick out our top 5 favorites and tell you a little bit about each of them.

Restoration-Vintage Lighting

Restoration and Early Electric styles have seen a big resurgence in popularity, and it’s not hard to see why. Some of the top interior designers and consumers alike have been seeking out lighting fixtures that replicate the style of old 1920’s era lighting as a means of introducing a touch of muted elegance combined with modern efficiency. Often with distressed finishes and Edison-style carbon filament, these lighting fixtures offer a unique blend of warm color mixed with a soft glow to make any room feel timeless and comfortable.

Whether it’s inside or outside, vintage lighting can bring its signature warmth to just about any design language. For instance, an outdoor wall light that is reminiscent of an old railroad fixture would be a great companion piece for your more rustic-style patio furniture to make your back patio or deck comfortable and inviting.

Transitional Lighting

Transitional lighting is a relatively new term in the industry often used to define a softened traditional look. The goal of using transitional lighting in a room is to convey a sense of comfort; as these fixtures warm, inviting look are close to Traditional style features, but forego a lot of the fuzzier look found in Classic styling. A few key factors to look for in transitional lighting is either a bronze or earth-tone finish, traditional lines without heavy ornamentation and perhaps the addition of glass accents or diffusers.

This style lighting is not just for inside the house, either! Our range of transitional outdoor lighting fixtures will impart a unique sense of style and design language that makes your backyard look as comfortable and inviting as the interior of your house without overly relying on a more vintage style. For example; a graphite-colored wall sconce with a flying buttress and a light diffuse to expand the light softly would be a great piece if you’re looking for that traditional look with elements of a more modern design.

If the Transitional Style Lighting look is what you’re after; 1800Lighting is guaranteed to have something that will fit your every need; indoor or outdoor, wall or ceiling.

Modern-Contemporary Lighting

Modern-Contemporary Lighting styles have a tendency to place an emphasis on design. Lots of graceful curves, geometric outlines and sometimes dramatic angles can draw inspiration from architecture and some organic forms. With the increasing trend of darker finishes and softer shapes for lights; modern-contemporary lighting has also adopted the term soft contemporary.

These lighting fixtures are perfect for a room or home that wants to convey a sense of style without having to resort strictly to classical looks. Modern-Contemporary design usually pair very well in the most contemporary room in your house; typically the living room or kitchen. With modern furniture and appliances usually carefully placed throughout the room; contemporary lighting is a good match to give your room a coherent look. Modern Contemporary lighting has a tendency to draw attention to itself and will wow you and your guests with its clean lines, tight angles and architecturally-inspired shapes. An example of this might be a ceiling fixture with steel wiring connecting from the base of the light to the ceiling puck and a muted-tones bowl to diffuse the light in the room. So if you’re after the bleeding edge in style and performance, there’s nothing like modern-contemporary style lighting from 1800Lighting.

Crystal Lighting

Restrained ornamentation and a refined decorative look is the order of the day for Crystal lighting. Fixtures in this class usually have a smaller scale compared to the more Baroque-era grandiose fixtures with more excessive design elements.

Often times; Crystal lighting styles will have distressed tones that resemble their vintage-style lighting counterparts, but with heavier design elements and more intricate detail while using crystal as an accent to project the light in a visually pleasing pattern. An intricate pattern in an antique bronze finish with crystal inlays without invoking the more flared styling that is typical of earlier period lighting is a great example of Crystal lighting.

So if you’re looking for a flashier style that’s both elegant and modern, a Crystal lighting style fixture from 1800Lighting might be just what you need to invoke that old-time style to your room.

Traditional Lighting

If you’re looking to give your home a more old fashioned or Victorian look, Traditional-Style Lighting might be just what you’re looking for. Typically showcasing a more grand flair; they’re a great option for adding some charm and a warmth to your home. Often times you’ll find a great amount of attention has been paid to detail in designing these fixtures and are most commonly found in Brass, Wood and Iron finishes.

Both Tiffany lights and Chandeliers are great examples of traditional lighting. If you’re looking for a more traditional lighting setup to accompany your more old-style furniture, try staying away from fixtures that are a bit too simplistic or plain, as it may clash with the rest of your room’s aesthetic and bring a more modern touch to your home. So if you want to give your home a traditional look and find that transitional lighting carries too much of a modern aesthetic, your best bet is to find a wonderful Traditional Lighting fixture from 1800Lighting to perfectly suit your needs.

Closing

Keep in mind; these are just the top 5 styles of lighting. There are plenty more styles that can be found at our store. Anything from French Country, Whimsical, Art Deco, Coastal Glam, Williamsburg, Rustic, Nautical, Craftsman-Mission, Mediterranean and even Morrocan and Tiffany Glass, there are plenty of styles for you to choose from. We encourage you to take your time and browse through to familiarize yourself with our available styles, and know that our experts are always available to help if you need it!

PRO TIP: If you’re looking for a more traditional lighting setup to accompany your more old-style furniture, try staying away from fixtures that are a bit too simplistic or plain, as it may clash with the rest of your room’s aesthetic and bring a more modern touch to your home.

Shop different styled light fixtures

Browse a selection of different style light fixtures below