Matte finishes throughout homes are all the rage, but what makes them so popular? And why are matte finishes a clever idea for lighting?
Lights bring interiors to life. We’ve seen how we can use varied materials, styles and colours to clarify themes and designs with effortless ease.
We’re seeing a popular trend emerging onto the UK lighting scene, which are matte finishes.
Brushed metals, such as satin chrome or nickel or brushed brass are being teamed with matte painted colours and milky glass to enormous success.
Satin metal finishes continue to have a sheen, a luminosity that will add a gracious luxury to a room. But it’s not a show-off. It adds a quality in a subtle way, reflecting a muted version of the room, as if it’s a vision created in broad brush watercolour.
Matte painted finishes somehow add more depth than their glossy counterparts, encouraging the eye inward, rather than bouncing reflections and light back to the eye of the beholder.
The matte finish showcases the soft curves or angles of the light. Light and shadow are created, making the effect more three dimensional, adding extra aesthetics to the light itself.
When lit, the softened effect of matte lights allows the light itself to be the centrepiece, casting a warming glow around the space. They help to bring lighting design up to date. We’ve had shiny finishes on our lights for many decades.
Matte effects offer a delectable contrast with glossy or reflective surfaces. They bring out the best versions of themselves, like the contrast between day and night.
“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness”; John Steinbeck.
In today’s busy lives, they are also a dream to clean. Not something that is always a top priority when choosing new lights, but they don’t show fingerprints, dust or smears as readily as their counterparts. Who wants to spend any extra time cleaning?!
So, get your matte on with some great matte lights!
