Trend Alert: Lantern Style Lighting

We are seeing a surge of popularity for Lantern Style Lighting for both our client’s homes and spaces shared online too. These light fixtures are a beautiful addition to almost any style of home when chosen appropriately. As the name suggests, we’re looking at exposed light bulbs that are encased with a metal structure – but fear not! – they don’t have to be industrial looking at all… We absolutely love this style of lighting and can’t wait to share why below! Let’s take a closer look!

Why we love it!

We love Lantern Style Lighting because they not only provide a great amount of general lighting to a space, but can also add a beautiful decorative touch too. You can add tons of character and interest to an interior space by using Lantern Style Lighting. What we love most about them is that they can last many years if chosen right!

How to use it.

Luckily, there are a wide variety of sizes, styles, shapes, and finishes to select from when choosing a lantern style light fitting for your space. This means that there is something to suit any interior scheme. It is worth doing research into different vendors and subsequent ranges available to find something that works with your space.

Lantern Style Lighting works particularly well in larger spaces. Areas like the foyer/entrance hall, kitchen, and dining room are good areas of the home to explore for suitability. If you have smaller spaces, it may still be possible to use a lantern style light fitting but do double-check the dimensions of the fixture with the size available to ensure it will look right.

These light fixtures aren’t typically suitable for wet areas like the main bathroom, however could be useful for powder rooms where moisture levels are low or non-existent. Always check the specification to make sure there is a wet or damp rating depending on where you plan to install the fixture.

What to watch for.

There are some considerations to take into account when thinking of using lantern style lighting in your home.

The biggest thing to watch out for is the overall size of the fixture, versus the size of the room you intend to install it within. Especially in larger rooms, the fixture will be an investment so it is worth drawing up your own scaled drawing to check the ceiling height with the drop length and size of the light. You may be able to adjust the down rod on some lantern style lights but this is another aspect worth checking prior to purchasing if you need a specific length.

Generally speaking, for an 8-foot ceiling, the space can accommodate a 20-24 inch chandelier or pendant. This is worked out by taking 2-3 inches for each foot of the room’s ceiling height.

Another thing to keep in mind when considering lantern style lighting for your home is the positioning and direction of the bulbs used. While most fixtures have the bulbs facing upwards towards the ceiling this provides good general lighting for space but might be limiting if you require task lighting. For example, for a dining table or kitchen island, you will achieve more task lighting to the surfaces with the bulbs facing downwards.

Ways to make this trend last in your home

Lantern style lights can last many years in a home providing the right care is taken when choosing, installing and maintaining them.

Choosing the right lantern-style light for your home may seem like a daunting task so it’s important to do lots of research into what sort of styles you like and don’t like to narrow your shopping search. An easy way to narrow some of the features down is to decide on the finish for the light fixture. For kitchen areas, you could take the hardware finish for the cabinets and use that for the lantern light fixture. Or contrast this with the opposite finish. If you can tie in the finish of the lantern light with something else in the room you love and wouldn’t change, all the better!

It is worth taking some time once or twice a year if possible to gently clean any dust that may have gathered on the fixture.