Light & Building - new light trends for 2023

Possibly the world’s largest lighting fair took place in Frankfurt first week of October. Normally this is a spring event, but because of the pandemic we met in October. Fair Light & Building attracted over 1500 exhibitors and almost 100 000 visitors. Here is my interpretation on where we are going with lighting trends.

Trendhunter on the prowl. We’ll start with an easy overview, dig into technology and communications and than finally look at shapes and stuff.

A trend in lighting that is very “now” are these symmetrical lights. Circles, arches, etc. This brand is Siru.

Here Viokef

Also symmetrical. A lot of lighting brands work with these kinds of floor ligths that light up the wall. Here Polish brand Loftlight.

Different kind of light rods that shine on the wall. Here Simes.

A more retro and 70s look from Martinelli Luce.

New technology thinking

Walking around at the fair for two days, I of course talked to a lot of brands and designers. Many argue that we will see more mobile lights. I am not totally convinced myself, but I absolutely saw that lamps got smaller. Here Danish Nordlux.

Mobile lights at Linea Light

One of the missions I had for this fair was to check out how companies and designers had initiated the talk about energy crisis, inflation etc. I realise that a this situation is new on the market and a new product takes about two years before it is ready to launch. So it is a bit early. But I wanted to see if you could find seeds of ideas for this. And the answer is of course – no. Noone is really thinking about this. Yet. Noone is talking about lights that have lower energy consumption than other. Well some did. Further down I will talk about it.

One of the brands who actually tried was Tonone. It is interesting (and a bit sad). They said “you only need one lamp”. So, basically you buy a handful of rods or sticks and one lamphead. And then you bring your lamphead with you. Sit in a sofa and put the lamphead on the floorlamp. When you leave for the bedroom you take the lamphead with you and mount it on your wall lamp. If you need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night… then you bring your lamp with you.

Kind of a torch or a flashlight.

Effective – yes

Ambience – no

Sad – yes

But if the energy crisis continues – or we should use less energy for i.e. climate reasons then expect lamp solutions where you have a energy source and then look at how this light is distributed. Like at this lamp from Karakter.

I am sure – if the energy crisis continues – we will talk less about “pretty lamps” or lamps with “ambience” and look at efficiency or as someone said “the right light at the right time”. Ambience is out and efficiency is in.

Here a floor light (of course also works as a ceiling lamp) from Linea Light. It is all about distribution of light.

So, as a result I think the future lamps will look like this. A bit more plastic-y or with glass.

A Czech brand focusing completely on communication on energy efficiency. And the same concept. Low enery consumption and focus on distribution.

Speaking about communication. I know you want to look at cool lamps – and we will get there…

When I have been to Light & Building before, the majority of the lamp companies have been talking about the right light for retail. Very few does that now. I guess because noone believes in retail any more…

Instead we see a lot of brands communicating about how their light sanitize the room. Basically, “use our lamps and the room will be germ free”. And that is of course a result from the pandemic – but how relevant is that today?

Colours

Now. Lamp trends. That’s why you are here.

Colours. Obviously. We see it everywhere. What I would say is kind of new is how you get the feeling of how you can get your own personalized colour combination. But, colours. Yes.

From Ferroluce.

Toscot

Organic shape

One of the most common trends at the fair were these organic shapes. Looks like loops or knots. Very fluid.

Here at Nova Luce.

Here at Viokef

Here at Olev

Here at Artemide

Cut and raw

Another trend that was very evident were these cut lights. Almost like gem stones. And at the end here you will find proper stonelooking lights.

Almost always a nostalgic or vintage look. Like here at Globen Lighting.

Two versions of raw stone.

Wood and matte

Of course there is wood in 2022-2023. But not as much as previously. I think we will look for materials that can make the light efficient, not just look at materials. Here a lamp by Faneurope.