Prediction: the 7 lighting trends you’ll see everywhere in 2026 – once everyone else catches up

Knowing current lighting trends is one thing – predicting what’s next takes a true insider: a designer, a tastemaker, someone who sees around corners.

2026 is closer than you think. And with innovative lighting ideas shaping mood as dramatically as fresh flooring or a new sofa, it pays to plan ahead.

To guide the way, we spoke to a series of interior design insiders – familiar names and a few you’ll want to know. These professionals, with portfolios to prove it, share predictions you won’t find anywhere else: niche, specific, and straight from the source.

Here are the lighting trends to watch in 2026.

7 lighting trends setting the tone for 2026

We asked experts who do this every day. These are the lighting trends they're betting on by next year, which will soon be copied by everyone else by next spring.

1. 'Napkin' lights

You’ve seen them – you just didn’t know what to call them. Napkin lights, an Instagram-native term as nonchalant as the fixtures themselves, are draped, fluid forms rendered in decidedly un-soft materials, such as pleated ceramic or folded porcelain.

Mimicking fabric mid-swish, 'they add texture, depth, and a touch of whimsy that invites conversation,’ says Kym Gold, founder and president of dumæ, a design-forward brand that’s embraced the look with pieces like the delightfully folded Yasmin Pendant.

‘The Yasmin Pendant came from my background in the apparel industry, where I’ve always been drawn to how fabric layers and moves,’ Kym explains. ‘I wanted to capture that same sense of drape and flow using materials like clay and metal. It’s a play between the softness of fabric and the permanence of harder mediums – that contrast is what makes it exciting to me.’

According to Kym, these soft-looking, hard-formed fixtures shine brightest in communal spaces like living and dining rooms – places where their sculptural texture can actually be seen and appreciated. ‘I think consumers are always searching for something fresh to bring into their spaces,’ she says. ‘Especially pieces that feel both artistic and functional. These designs have a softness to them, even though they’re made of hard materials, which makes them stand out and feel intentional.’

2. Biomorphic silhouettes

Call it pod lighting, seed lighting, or just lighting that looks like it might have originated in a tide pool. Designers are leaning into forms that reference the natural world – not just the materials, but the architecture of elements and organisms themselves.

‘We anticipate a continued rise of organic, pod-like forms – fixtures that evoke shells, seeds, and natural archetypes,’ says Dana Gers, CMO at Lumens. Take, for instance, the weightless drift of Flos’ My Disc Pendant, the sculpted petal curves of Jamie Young’s Cala, or the onion-skin thin Suuria by Aqua Creations.

Sarah Trop of FunCycled sees it, too. ‘Instead of just rattan shades and basket weaves (which we’ve leaned on heavily in recent years), expect to see lighting that truly reflects nature: glass fixtures that ripple like water, lamps with stone or terrazzo bases, and undulating silhouettes that suggest movement.’

‘2026 is ushering in a more expressive, tactile, and human approach to lighting design,’ Dana Gers continues. ‘These softened, asymmetric shapes move beyond strict geometry and introduce a sense of quiet movement and life into interiors.’

3. Gentle glow

In 2025, minimalism swung both ways – either painfully boring (a lone glowing stick on a wall) or, more often than not, overly precious (more sculpture than light source). Looks were prioritized, ambience forgotten. But in 2026, the pendulum hits its sweet spot: the sensibility stays minimal, but comfort becomes key.

‘I think 2026 is going to be all about lighting that feels modern but really natural and refined,’ says Los Angeles–based designer Jessica Nicastro. ‘Finishes are getting softer and more textured, nothing too shiny, so the light kind of glows rather than reflects. It’s all about sculptural pieces that feel sleek and intentional, without trying too hard.’

‘People are craving spaces that feel calm, warm, and personal, and lighting plays a huge role in that,’ she continues. ‘Aesthetically, these pieces are clean and modern but still have that organic, lived-in feel, which makes them really versatile.’

Easy on the eyes, this bedroom-friendly lighting style isn’t about doing less. It’s about knowing what to leave out.

4. Mixed materials

It’s the art of the unexpected. As we head into 2026, names like GUBI, Kalco Lighting, and Les Jardins are leaning into mixed materials in a big way.

‘We’ve seen rich texture trending in lighting this year – and in general, a much more creative use of material,’ says Andrea Goldman, founder and principal of Andrea Goldman Design. Lumens CMO Dana Gers agrees: ‘Designers are experimenting with pairings that feel unexpected and deeply crafted.’

Painted brass might be softened with raw stone. Polished glass could be wrapped in woven textiles. A globe shade? Sure – but make it marble, not glass. Even leather-wrapped shades and lacquered steel are a fair living room lighting game.

‘These juxtapositions bring a layered, artisanal richness to lighting,’ Dana adds.

5. Goodbye convention, hello custom

A classic empire shade lamp could set you back $5,000 or $50. And while price isn’t everything, there’s only so much magic a prototypical shape can muster, especially when everyone else has it too.

According to Mallory Robins and Elizabeth Bennett of Kobel + Co, 2026 is shaping up to be the year lighting gets personal. Custom colors and finishes – à la Pooky’s plug-and-play model – are only getting more popular. But this goes beyond just surface-level tweaks. It’s the silhouette, too.

‘Homeowners are becoming fatigued by seeing the same options offered across multiple vendors and splashed across social media,’ the duo tells Homes & Gardens. ‘They are craving ways to customize pieces to make them feel bespoke to their own homes and tastes.’

Because in 2026, nothing says insider like a fixture you won’t find in anyone else’s foyer.

6. Lantern-like lighting

Lanterns aren’t new. But in 2026, the category softens and expands – moving beyond classic boxy forms into something looser, lighter, and arguably, far more fun. According to Joshua Evan Goldfarb and Michael Edward Moriano of Evan Edward, the most forward fixtures right now are ‘lantern-like, organic, and sometimes even amorphous.’

Rice paper, handblown glass, and featherweight textiles all lend this sense of softness we're after. ‘Delicate and cozy while still feeling elegant and elevated,’ they note. Even feathers are fair game, as seen by the spherical pendant in the East Village media room above, which suggests a lantern without fully committing.

‘Angular and masculine lighting fixtures have been a huge focus for some time now, and we think it’s nice to see some softness added to the mix,’ they add. ‘There’s still a use for these hard, statement-making fixtures – but we’re in search of some variance.’

7. Neo-Deco

A century after Art Deco first emerged, its influence is pulsing back through interiors. ‘We’re seeing a return to the bold geometry, rich materials, and glamorous style that epitomized the era,’ says Lumens CMO Dana Gers. ‘At Lumens, we’re calling it Neo Deco, as styles take on a modern interpretation with lighting, furniture, and decor that channel this enduring design language into fresh, contemporary pieces.’

The Coco LED Chandelier by Larose Guyon, for example, hypnotizes with its sequenced geometry – a clean-lined ode to Deco elegance. Meanwhile, Marc Wood Studio’s Jack and Jill Pendant feels like 1930s jewelry scaled up with its hand-bent brass arms, pearl-white glass orbs, and a sculptural clarity.

Neo-Deco cuts the excess but keeps the edge, offering a quiet luxury take on one of the most flamboyant eras in design.

Designers will tell you what to buy – but the real intel? What not to do. These are the living room lighting mistakes they’ve made (and learned from), so you don’t have to – in 2026 and beyond.