Retro Lighting Rules!
How to get the ‘retro eclectic’ lighting look.
We’ve all seen glossy interior design and life style magazines depicting effortless blending of old & new. Eclectic salvage finds blended with designer items to create interesting playful arty spaces. In truth, some interior designers have that magic touch, making ‘old tat’ look like an art installation. When we mere mortals attempt this, it often looks like….. ‘old tat’!! Why is this?
After many years of working with Architects & Interior Designers we at The Lighting Company have extracted a wealth of ideas to help you create the look without paying big bucks!
First let’s look at the scene above to see what makes this little grouping of objects a success story.
The objects tell us a story, just a quick glance at the image evoking a feeling that the owner of the collection is perhaps a well traveled individual with selected items collected from around the world?
There’s a sense of nostalgia with the angled lamp a retro styled reading or desk lamp, leads us to believe that the owner is educated, well read & well travelled person too. The sentimental and possibly a little eccentric collector seems to have paid no mind to whether the collection belongs together. We know these items are simply a random collection. But at closer inspection we see the colour pallet is pleasing, with a link between objects. The subtle neutral tones are rather dignified: tans, taupe, black and a dash of white. There is also a common theme between the objects although not obvious at first glance. They all have texture: fur, rusty metal, the wood of the crate and the gloss black of the oriental chest and this gloss black is repeated in the angled lamp.
Textured wall lights such as the Joshua Driftwood style wall lamp is a good choice, a wall hanging, drift wood wall art, twisted metal wall art are all good alternative too. The colour combination is important. There should be at least one object that has a mix of all the colours as this will help to bring the look together.The Bavarian Antlers wall art below are made from resin -no animals have been harmed although poor little doggie looks like he may have issues!
It’s no happy accident that certain styles become the ‘must haves’ and some do not. Trend forecasting is used to identify what is to become the hot new ‘must have’! Interiors designers watch carefully the key trend forecast and influences. During this time of austerity – you’ve seen signs everywhere such as ‘Keep Calm and Eat Cake” and “Keep Calm and Drink Wine” these words hark back to war times. We have all embraced the sentiments of wartime Britain we’re growing our own. As consumers we all adopted a ‘Make do and Mend’ attitude. Interior designers often talk to us about the type of scheme they have in mind for their clients. Lighting in a retro style can work effortlessly in kitchens adding just a little quirk. Look for lighting that evokes pharmacy style lighting, factory style pendants, 1950’s era, enamelled lighting in pastel colours. If you’d like to incorporate retro lights our buying team have cherry picked some key items of lighting that work with the current lighting and interior trends.
The Lighting Company’s Top 10 of the best retro lights presented for your consideration.
- Funky Pendants brightly coloured pendant lights reminiscent of circa 1950’s Think ‘pop art’ the invention of plastics in bold colours.
- Bankers Lamp a classic grown up lamp with a green shade. This is quality British made Lighting.
- Retro Ceiling PendantsClassic utilitarian lighting simple stylish and will stand the test of time.
- Copper Retro Ceiling Pendants some are even British designs and manufactured; a truly classic iconic design.
- Retro Floor Lamps a super large reading light
- Dynamo a collection of matching pendants and lamps.
- Fabulous funky spot lights
- Reclamation factory style pendants enamelled look cream or a worn bronze effect for a vintage look.
- Urban Renewal a collection of smaller size factory style pendants a choice of 5 designs to choose from. Ideal pendant to hang in groups. We think these are best with a nostalgic old fashioned bulb from ‘Bespoke Lights’
- drum shaped ceiling light in red, cream or black.
Every interior that you see in home decor style magazines will have fabulous lighting. Not just to light the room but to add to the decor. There is a wonderful array of lighting to choose from in our extensive range -truly something for every style. Retro Lighting is a eclectic mix of lights for every room of the home. This is a strong trend that seems set to stay. If you are interested in keeping up to date with lighting trends follow us on twitter @TheLightingComp
Lighting in a retro style can work effortlessly in kitchens adding just a little quirk. Look for lighting that evokes pharmacy style lighting, factory style pendants, 1950’s era, enamelled lighting in pastel colours.