Aged Brass and Alabaster Dominate North America's Largest Residential Lighting Show
Story at a Glance:
- Warm metallic finishes like aged brass and champagne are replacing polished chrome and brushed nickel in lighting fixtures.
- Natural and organic materials, such as alabaster, onyx, rattan, and oyster shells, are prevalent.
- Fixtures are increasingly inspired by nature, featuring botanical, coastal, and celestial motifs.
- Many pieces are designed as statement jewelry for the home, with dramatic, sculptural forms and textured glass.
NOTE: Enjoy our slideshow calling out the trends we saw at Lightovation above, and then read our feature on the event below.
We saw it across nearly every showroom at the Dallas Market Center's Lightovation show earlier this month: antique brass and gold leaf replacing nickel and other cool metals, iced onyx, alabaster, and smoky glass replacing clear glass, and nature-inspired forms and materials dominating showrooms.
At the largest residential lighting trade event in North America, the shift was unmistakable: warmth and organic materials now define luxury lighting. Here are some of the memorable trends we spotted at Lightovation that will be making their way into your projects this year.
The Pivot to Warmth
Polished chrome and brushed nickel are being replaced by finishes that glow. Aged brass appeared as a dominant metal across many showrooms, along with hand-applied gold leaf and lighter champagne finishes. The warm metals showed up in everything from traditional chandeliers to contemporary sconces to minimal bath fixtures. The shift also extends to wall plates; Legrand's Adorne collection offers 40 plate options including stainable wood and black-and-brass combinations, ensuring that warmth matches from chandelier to switch.
Organic Materials, Everywhere
Natural materials were plentiful, with alabaster and onyx, in particular, appearing across showrooms in a show of comfort and warmth. Hudson Valley positioned the iced onyx in its Maywood collection as an evolution ("not the honey-colored onyx of the '80s"). For budget-conscious projects, manufacturers mentioned resin alabaster and mineral opaline as lower-priced alternatives to natural stone.
Beyond stone, though, organic fibers were abundant. Troy Lighting sources cocoa shell, rattan, and wood beads from the Philippines, with cocoa shells cited as a strong seller. And Hudson Valley's Corbett line uses oyster shells in its Galle chandelier (above) with natural color variance from purple to brown.
Forms That Reference Nature
Botanical, coastal, and celestial inspiration appeared across the show floor, with fixtures referencing olive tree branches, sycamore seedpods, coral reefs, and even the phases of the moon.
Lucas + McKearn's Sweet Olive chandelier uses hand-finished gold leaf on branches and crystal pieces that drape. Tala's Sycamore chandelier mimics the helicopter-like descent of seedpods with curved glass shades. Hubbarton Forge's Coral Ring pendant wraps individually-cast aluminum "coral" pieces around a circular form to create a reef. The appeal for clients, many makers said, is that these pieces read more as sculptures that tell a story.
Statement Jewelry
Dramatic window displays showed fixtures as focal points/art pieces rather than just points of illumination and positioned them as "jewelry for the home."
Schonbek's Annaberg pendant features spears of multi-faceted crystals hand-pinned to a hand-bent metal band; their Jounce collection pairs crystals with aged brass to build a "tennis bracelet" effect. Fine Art Lighting's Mayu (400 pounds, 26 pieces of handblown glass with hand-applied gold leaf) functions as a sculptural installation in its largest iteration.
Textured, Tinted Glass
Glass moved beyond clear with an array of 70s and 80s-inspired smoke and champagne-colored tints, alongside textured options like fluted, seeded, and ribbed glass.
Eichholtz's Clarendon chandelier (pictured here) features tinted "sugar glass" spheres that scatter light. The brand's Imperial Chandelier, a collaboration with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, uses stacks of ribbed glass that majestically evoke an ancient marble column. Clear seeded glass showed up in Lucas + McKearn's Vetiver bath bar and across traditional chandeliers.
The shift to textures and tints reflects the broader trends of warmth and natural forms that were an absolute throughline at the show.
NOTE: For more memorable fixtures spotted at Lightovation, and how they fit into the trends called out here, see our slideshow at the top of this page.
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About the Author
Pauline Hammerbeck
Pauline Hammerbeck is the editor of Custom Builder, the leading business media brand for custom builders and their architectural and design partners. She also serves as a senior editor for Pro Builder, where she directs products coverage and the brand's MVP Product Awards. With experience across the built environment - in architecture, real estate, retail, and design - Pauline brings a broad perspective to her work. Reach her at [email protected].