Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1174518
OCTOBER 2019 | 27 Lighting Lighting trends to watch for in 2020 by STACEY MCLACHLAN A ny designer worth their salt knows the power of thoughtfully placed, smartly designed lighting. It's a crit- ical element of making a house a home, affecting our well-being, safety and security, and mood. The impact of lighting is exactly why the industry is constantly evolving and shifting to adapt to our changing needs and wants, and why we're thrilled to see the bevvy of advanced applications, high-tech materials, and LEDs galore that are coming into the market now. F R E S H F I N I S H E S At the Dallas International Lighting Show this past June, Jim Ormshaw, lighting product specialist for B.A. Robinson, spotted some intriguing new trends, including pieces with multiple fin- ishes – for example, black paired with brass or nickel. It's a trend that echoes an increasingly popular style for faucets, knobs, and handles in kitch- ens and bathrooms. "Lots of fixtures are now being offered in black to match bathroom faucet finishes," Ormshaw explains. That being said, plain gold, brass, and bronze looks are still hot for 2020, adding a touch of glamour that functions well with a variety of home styles. "Gold has made a huge comeback in recent months, as well as two-tone fixtures that add interest to a space," agrees Emma Dodimead, marketing and personnel manager for Nemetz (S/A) & Associates. "For styles, the biggest trends we have noticed this year are mid-century modern, as well as art-deco, with hints of modern twists," says Julia Dhaene of Ocean Pacific Lighting (OPL). That being said, straight- up modernism isn't going anywhere: "Homeowners, as well as architects, are looking for fixtures with clean lines, and simplistic yet elegant designs." L E D L O V E Whatever the esthetics, owners are on the hunt for power-smart functionality. "They are looking for the most efficient type of lighting using the least amount of power," says Ormshaw. And as the quality of LED products continue to improve, the options continue to expand. "LEDs are becoming more efficient with more lumen output and less wattage," he says. "Customers are starting to accept that LEDs are here to stay, and they're becoming more educated on the topic before even coming into one of our showrooms." This demand pushes companies like Robinson to continue the search at home and abroad for new products and vendors, and this competition continues to propel the industry forward into exciting new developments. As lighting consultants, Nemetz (S/A) & Associates has plenty of experience meeting the lighting needs of both client and code. "The adoption of the new code requirements has led to the introduction of more advanced lighting controls and higher performance in terms of lumen and packages available," says Dodimead. Meanwhile, consumers are on the hunt for energy-efficient designs that are also clean and mini- mal, in terms of depth and aperture. New, flexible options include tunable white LED lights that can address both design interests and effi- ciency concerns. These are fixtures that enable the ability to tweak and customize colour intensity and temperature, offering a world of options both to set the mood in a space, and to alter energy consumption. "It's an opportunity to add enhancement to architecture with lighting," says Dodimead. N E X T- L E V E L T E C H LED isn't the only high-tech option avail- able with today's lighting. "WiFi-ready services are compatible with the majority of fixtures," says OPL's Dhaene. This year OPL has brought in new vendors like Regina Andrews and Alora Lighting. They have also curated full dis- plays devoted to the up-and-coming WiFi-ready systems from many vendors, including Modern Forms fan line, as well as Adorne's light switches and plates. This means these pieces can be connected to smart devices or controllers for precise program- ming and operations. These customizable functions aren't just for early adopters or techies anymore either. "It has become apparent that even for cost-efficient fixtures, manu- facturers are building them with options to change the colour temperature of the fixture with the flip of a switch or similarly change the light level out- put," says Ben Rajewski, team lead of electrical for Williams Engineering. "What this is telling the indus- try is that occupants want control of their fixtures, even when the budget isn't huge. I think integrated control and colour changing will trend towards becoming the standard on the majority of fixtures moving forward." It's part of a larger trend towards controllability … a trend that Rajewski believes isn't going away any time soon. "Organizations like the WELL Standard are further promoting this as is the The National Energy Code of Canada," he notes. The Energy Code has a huge trickle-down effect, impacting the demands of architects and the manu- facturing side of the lighting industry. "Architects often put a premium on esthetics, but with the Energy Code being law they are also becoming The Future Is Bright Chandelier in black and nickel finish from Robinson Lighting & Bath; Art Deco inspired multi-pendant from Ocean Pacific Lighting.