Lighting experts from FX Luminaire and WAC Lighting highlight the top lighting trends of 2025.
Lighting
1. App-controlled lighting
Lighting systems that integrate with smart home platforms, offering advanced scheduling, dimming and scene-setting capabilities, are reshaping outdoor lighting experiences, says Ryan Williams, director of product marketing for FX Luminaire.
“The smart home movement has created an expectation for outdoor lighting to be as intelligent and user-friendly as indoor systems, giving homeowners more control over their lighting,” Williams says.
Todd Goers, director of sales for WAC Lighting, says this trend has evolved for a few reasons.
"One reason is people want something their neighbors don’t have, but beyond that, safety and security are a big thing,” Goers says. “People want to have their lights on longer over certain portions of their yard, or they may be worried about their home being broken into. Others just want that control of some lights turning off, but they want to keep certain ones on.”
2. Customized lighting
Going hand in hand with controlling lighting is the idea of incorporating RGBW systems to create dynamic, customizable outdoor environments for holidays, events or mood settings.
“People aren’t just happy with their lights going on a six o’ clock and going off at midnight,” Goers says. “There are folks that want to be able to bring colored landscape lighting to their space, for example, on game day when their favorite team or alma mater is playing.”
Driven by the desire for personalization and versatility, this trend forces lighting contractors to think about proper programming and control system capability and may require extra setup and time. Contractors must also educate clients on how to maximize the system's features, according to Williams.
In addition to changing the color of the lighting, Goers says he’s noticed customers asking to mix and match the color temperature of the lighting.
“People are moving away from the notion that everything has to be the same,” Goers says. “Maybe someone has the path lighting and deck lighting at a warm 2700 Kelvin but will uplight the trees at 3000 or 35000 Kelvin and then some downlights for a moonlighting effect at 5000 or 6000 Kelvin. There may be three or four different shades of white throughout the property, but properties that do this well are really impressive.”
3. Limiting light pollution
Williams notes that lighting solutions designed to reduce light pollution by directing light downward and minimizing light spill are becoming increasingly embraced within the industry.
“With growing awareness of light pollution’s environmental impact, municipalities, contractors and homeowners are embracing solutions that preserve the natural night sky while still delivering beautiful lighting,” Williams says.
He cautions that achieving the desired lighting effect while meeting dark-sky guidelines can be tricky because it often requires precise fixture placement and careful consideration of beam angles.
4. Sleek design
Fixtures with sleek, low-profile designs that blend seamlessly into modern landscapes are lighting up in popularity.
“Contemporary architectural trends, which favor clean lines and understated aesthetics, inspire the demand for fixtures that blend into the landscape while delivering powerful lighting effects,” Williams says. “While these fixtures are sleek and stylish, they can be more challenging to install in retrofits or existing systems due to size constraints and wiring requirements.”
Goers says he’s noticed more customers favoring the color black for fixtures rather than a traditional bronze.
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