How New Lighting Looks: Euroluce-2017 Trend Overview

The international lighting exhibition Euroluce is traditionally held in Italy once every two years and is one of the largest and most significant events both in the lighting world and in interior design. Here you can see what kind of light awaits us in the next two years. Designer Konstantin Tsipelov analyzed what happened this year in Milan and derived 12 trends from it.

Konstantin TsipelovDesignerProfessional lighting and light designer, director of ARTLIGHT, a company specializing in lighting solutions, conducting numerous seminars and masterclasses on the principles of lighting for private and commercial spaces.1. Interactivity

This is the main trend at the exhibition: many were lighting fixtures that you can and must interact with – turn, press, rotate. Intelligent control systems, widely represented at last year's Frankfurt Light & Building exhibition, gave way to 'manual' control.

See how multiple shadow-light installations change the interior with just a light hand movement. An unprecedented leader in shadow-light shows was the installation from Arturo Alvarez factory.2. Dimmers

Diversion of manual dimming also pleased. An excellent example is the Heliacal floor lamp, whose design was inspired by sunrise and sunset. Heliacal represents the rising of a celestial body just before dawn, that very light which illuminates the morning sky in the brief moment before sunrise.

Astronomical inspiration is provided by polarized glass disks in the lamp, which when rotated with a light hand movement either completely block the light or let it through, thus creating different lighting and interior moods. Just a sunset in manual form.

3. Adjustable Light AngleAnother trend is multiple wall lights with adjustable light angle. I particularly liked the Studio Italia Design wall lamp with infinite variations of lighting patterns. I'm sure that with such a lamp, your interior will never become boring.4. Mobility

Light becomes mobile: portable lamps on batteries were presented in large numbers. Many of them are also interactive and equipped with swivel elements that allow changing the direction of illumination. These lamps will be in demand primarily in restaurants and cafes, but they can also find their use in residential interiors.

5. Graphics and Geometry

One of the vectors in light design is graphics, geometry, and simple forms. Most luminaires are modern European re-interpretations of American art deco with a focus on minimalism. Spherical lamps, cylindrical bulbs, cables, wire constructions – all very 'fragile', weightless, compact, and unobtrusive.

6. Multifunctionality

Now a lamp is more than just a bulb; it's also an object or furniture. Full functionality: a shelf as furniture, a shelf as decoration element, a shelf as a lamp. There are lamps with room divider or sound screen functions. Many models now feature integrated sound systems, such as the Exenia floor lamp, or collections with acoustic systems that resemble lamps in design.

7. 60s Color Palette

Plenty of color solutions were not a surprise – this trend has been noticeable in interior design for more than one year. What pleased me most was not the variety of colors but the color palette that clearly reflects the 1950s and 60s. I don't know about you, but this color range is very pleasant to my eyes.

8. Modularity

Modular lighting structures and modular decorative systems – these are 'three-liter jars' assembled into light columns (Flos), a constructor from Lumen Centr Italia, and light partitions from Fabbian or Designheurer. The influence of technical lighting is also seen in decorative elements.

9. Volumetric Forms

Combinations of luminaires creating the illusion of volumetric geometric forms are well known from technical lighting. Similar models are widely represented in such factories as Deltalight or Vibia. But now you can find the same approach in decorative lighting. And it's no longer metal painted with powder coating, but glass or even fabric.

10. Humor

Humor and lightness in design – one of the features of the exhibition. Perhaps this is another way to control emotions, consciousness and behavior. To this direction can also be attributed already known models from David Gruppi and Ingo Maurer, and new models of the year – the Blush Lamp from Flos and the Filo light from Foscarini.

11. Variety of Materials

As before, glass remains the leader, though not classical Murano chandeliers, which were scarce at the exhibition and made me happy. The expected addition to traditional lighting materials are marble, wood, and even leather.

12. No Attics at All

One particularly joyful aspect for me and, I think, for many designers – is the almost complete absence of loft-style lighting. This direction has practically run its course and individual samples presented at the exhibition are more likely to be classified as shadow-light models rather than loft-style lighting.