Silver light fittings
Interior lighting trends for 2024
Looking ahead to interior design trends for 2024, one design detail we noticed is the increased use of silver light fittings. A gradual shift away from the recent splurge on gold coloured and matte black light fittings. Silver is more discreet, less obvious than the brassy tones of gold; and blends well into any colour scheme. As it’s a cooler colour, it reflects more light. From a technical point of view, this is because silver absorbs certain wavelengths of light and reflects others which means it’s good at reflecting visible light hence we can see things without colour additives in this light. Gold, on the other hand, lacks this property and absorbs light in such a way that makes the reflected light a yellowish tone.
Materials
There are a few different types of silver light fitting materials to choose from, each with different properties. The colour, effect and look of these different materials can vary considerably, depending on the way they are manufactured. For example, the stainless steel example in the image below looks textured, but it can be finished so that it has a smoother appearance.
Stainless steel - Extremely corrosion resistant and heat resistant iron-based alloy. It’s easy to clean and has strong impact resistance. A popular choice for light fittings due to the high quality finish and longevity.
Aluminium - Corrosion & rust resistant, non-magnetic, non-toxic metal. Lightweight, it weighs 33% less than steel. Easily moulded and bent into shapes. The world’s most abundant metal which is easily recycled, making it one of the most sustainable metals available.
Chrome - Applied in a coating process, chrome plating provides a strong, hard outer layer which is water resistant, heat resistant and wear resistant. Depending on the thickness of the plate layer it can also be corrosion resistant. The natural mineral used in this process is chromium. Chrome plate tends to be applied to nickel.
Nickel - A hard, malleable metal with good heat and electricity conductivity. It is magnetic and doesn’t rust. Pure nickel is very corrosion resistant. Alloying it with chrome plating prevents oxidation. Oxidation can be seen when the outer surface appears to have changed colour, firstly to grey, then green and eventually black.
Sustainability
Aluminium is sometimes called the “green metal” due to it’s environmentally friendly properties. Recycling aluminium saves 95% of the energy that would be required to produce usable aluminium from raw materials. Unlike other metals, aluminium doesn’t degrade when recycled, enabling manufacturers to make the same quality product after recycling. It also requires less energy and time to recycle than any other metal. In fact, nearly 75% of all the aluminium ever produced is still in use today!
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Our favourite silver light fittings
With so many different styles and materials to choose from, this isn’t an easy task. The following are just some examples of high quality, durable and attractive silver light fittings that we would like to incorporate into some interior design room plans in the near future.
Sources: 1. TheLightCompany.co.uk 2. Homary.com 3. VictorianPlumbing.co.uk 4. Lux-hom.com 5. KESLighting.co.uk 6. MillMax.co.uk