Lutron Electronics has just released its first-ever Lighting Trend Report, and the findings are enlightening to say the least. Being in the custom integration industry, we’re all very aware of how the lighting category has skyrocketed over the past few years, however, what the Lutron report highlights is how many homeowners have come to view good lighting as one of the most valuable amenities a home can have.

“Light brings atmosphere and can enhance not only the aesthetic of a home but how we look, feel, and live within it,” notes Cecilia Ramos, Lutron Senior Director.

“With the launch of our first trend report, we’re excited to dig into first-hand consumer sentiments about what’s motivating the demand for innovative new lighting solutions – and to explore the shift in thinking about lighting as a utility to light as an amenity that can truly shape our experiences within the home.”

The report is informed by findings from a recent Lutron/Harris Poll survey as well as leading designer insights and Lutron’s expertise to represent homeowner lighting preferences. The report also forecasts anticipated trends for 2023 and beyond.

The Demand for Better Lighting is the Demand to Be Closer to Nature

When asked, 82% of homeowners in the survey stated that it’s important for them to have a day-to-day connection with nature. However, 87% followed up on that assertion, saying that it’s even more important to have that connection come through in home design.

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Much like lighting, a connectedness to the outdoors has been a skyrocketing trend in interior design. This has manifested in a variety of ways from the addition of more organic colors and materials to the profusion of more natural lighting in home designs.

This has also led to a rise in the use of LED lighting that can closely mimic the natural progression of the sun throughout the day (otherwise known as circadian lighting).

“For me, a home that ‘brings the outdoors in’ starts with light,” says Sasha Bikoff, Founder & CEO of Sahsa Bikoff Interior Design.

The report also notes that homeowners highly value control over that natural light, as well, with 89% stating that window coverings are vital in creating that natural connection in the home.

Lutron Report Finds Homeowners View Lighting as Vital Amenity

Recently, CE Pro covered another trend detailing the rise of wellness focused spaces in the home. Most of the time this amounts to creating a relaxing spa-like escape often set within a natural environment.

According to the survey, this is because most homeowners (90%) say that it’s vital their home helps them relax and disconnect from the world. This especially true for the remote workforce, where the separation between personal and business time has become somewhat blurred in most cases.

It’s this mentality, Lutron notes in the report, that has given rise to the resimercial category in a lot of ways. Spa-inspired bathrooms or resort-inspired backyards fit directly into this category as Americans seek to emulate the relaxation they’ve found at luxury hotels.

The key to achieving that state of total relaxation, many say, is lighting. Almost 4 out of 5 (78%) of homeowners say having the ability to adjust lighting is one of the most important factors to creating ambience within a home.

“Part of what sparks inspiration when staying at resorts are the intangible design elements that come together to create a sense of ambiance – and for me, the key to creating that is often through light,” says Young Huh, Founder of Young Huh Interior Design.

“When it comes to replicating that feeling in your own space, a tunable light source can make all the difference.”

Wellness Remains in High Demand

While at home wellness is still a major force factor for people looking to make some improvements, many still struggle with finding ways to implement it. Roughly 68% of US homeowners state they are having difficulty with integrating wellness in a substantial way.

However, one of the simplest and universally beneficial methods to do so may just well be through lighting. A majority of US homeowners (75%) say controlling light in their home is key to their sleep routine, which itself acknowledges the role lighting already plays in human health and wellbeing.

“We’ve seen really creative wellness applications from our clients,” shares Cecilia Ramos, Lutron Senior Director.

“For example, our lighting controls – the keypads on the walls – have the ability to be customized with settings that describe the desired activity within the space. We’ve seen bathrooms feature custom engravings for ‘Spa Day’ and ‘Bubbles,’ and home gyms with keypads for ‘Warm Up’ and ‘Beast Mode.’”

People Are Putting Their Foot Down on Better Bathroom Lighting

Despite a resounding consensus on the value of better lighting, around 19% of homeowners state they are still living with unsatisfactory lighting, specifically within the bathroom and closet areas.

Lutron notes, for luxury homes in particular, “glam rooms” have become a popular trend as a growing number of Lutron clientele and other homeowners take walk-in closets to the next level with entire rooms dedicated to their morning beauty routines.

That’s because more than 4 in 5 U.S. homeowners (84%) believe that bad lighting in a closet, dressing room, or bathroom can make getting ready a more unpleasant process.

This insight supports the idea that homeowners see a connection between light and their self-perceptions of beauty and style, and that the routine activity of choosing clothes and making oneself presentable is positively impacted by a well-lit space.

Lutron Report States Lighting a “Must-Have” for Homebuyers as Well

Roughly three-quarters of US homebuyers (74%) state they would not consider purchasing a home if it was deemed to have poor natural lighting. That’s even if the home ticked all the other boxes of what they might be looking for in an ideal home.

This means lighting has the potential now to greatly impact the resale potential of homes, and while circadian lighting isn’t meant to be a direct replacement for natural lighting, a home installed with a proper system has the potential to shine brighter among prospective homebuyers compared to its dimmer counterparts.

As for what areas of the home people value the most, here’s a breakdown from the report.

• Kitchen – 72%
• Living / family room – 69%
• Bathrooms – 61%
• Bedrooms – 56%
• Home office – 41%
• Entryways – 32%
• Closets – 32%
• Basement – 24%
• Home theater – 18%
• Other – 3%

LED’s Efficiency and Sustainability Taps into Homeowner Interest

Rising steadily alongside interest in wellness, sustainability is another topic of concern for many homeowners. Roughly 81% of homeowners want to reduce their impact on the environment, and 76% state they prioritize purchasing eco-friendly home design products to do so.

With that being said, the trend towards more natural, smarter lighting fits right into this desire, as automated, efficient LED lighting can help drastically save energy and reduce waste, owing to the LED’s long lifespan.

As a result, the study also found that, given the above-mentioned benefits, 78% of people would invest in LED lighting or automated shades to help limit their carbon footprint.

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