Everywhere you look this year, there’s a feeling of old meets new and interior design is no different. Maximalism is making a strong comeback, colour is in, and lighting choices are bold and exciting. The British public is on a real drive towards sustainable living, but it still has to look good.
Retrofit lighting trends of 2025
Some of the strongest emerging trends of this year are:
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Natural materials
Plastic lighting options have fallen out of favour, while natural materials such as bamboo and timber, as well as recycled metal, are in. By bringing the outdoors inside and giving a second life to reclaimed scrap materials, people are embracing organic designs and delighting in a sense of connectivity with nature.
These materials have the added advantage of being recyclable at the end of life, meaning that should you choose to change your style in the near future, you will not be plagued by guilt as your choices will have a minimal environmental impact.
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Vintage styling
Chandeliers are experiencing an exciting comeback, as are coach lights and industrial-style pendant lamps. Incorporating these vintage touches into modern designs elevates the space and delivers timeless elegance.
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Smart technology integration
With the ever-escalating cost of electricity, we are continuing to see consumers replacing inefficient fluorescents with LED lamps. Increasingly, people are also turning to AI, upgrading their lamps to smart lamps and controlling them via their smart speakers and mobile phones. This technology offers users enhanced control as well as increased energy efficiency.
What is particularly great about this retrofit lighting trend is that it is so simple. LED and smart lamps are available in all of the same sizes and fitting types as Edison lamps, meaning that no matter how vintage your style, you can still enjoy the benefits of sustainable living.
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Layered lighting choices
Personalisation is key, and consumers can now style their businesses and office spaces to suit their brand’s distinct personalities and individual preferences. Tunable lighting allows people to customise the brightness of their lights, easily adjusting from warm to neutral and even to cool white lighting to suit their mood and the room’s ambient lighting.
Other ways in which users can customise their lighting choices are by using a variety of light sources in a designated space, for example, having the choice of pendant, downlights and wall-hung in the same room, to be used separately or combined to suit their needs at any given point in time.
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Sculptural designs
Recently, people have been embracing sculptural lighting designs, which bring a sense of fun and personality to their customers.
This is achieved by incorporating lighting into artistic three-dimensional designs, such as animal lights, floral designs, and even hanging cosmos-style pieces, which really create a talking point. There are sculptural designs to suit all retrofit lighting budgets, from simple desk lights through to extravagant statement pieces.
Conclusion
Retrofit lighting projects are becoming more adventurous, with the consumer keen to be creative and unafraid to make a statement. With nostalgia comes a desire to incorporate vintage designs, elevating the creative appeal of their spaces without compromising on sustainability.