Anyone browsing websites looking for lighting fixtures to decorate their home with might be inclined to opt for a style known as transitional lighting. The smooth curves and solid foundation of transitional lighting style fixtures make it a popular choice with designers today. But for anyone trying to define transition lighting for a friend, you might be surprised to find that there are few words to describe this elusive style.
Part of the problem with describing or defining a transitional lighting style is that it is a mixture of several styles. Combining the smooth, flowing lines of contemporary style with the ornamentation of classic style, transitional lighting is a child without clearly defined proportions. As a style in itself, the interior design industry doesn’t really recognize transition lighting as a separate style. Transitional lighting seems to be a “business term” that helps them explain the category of lighting fixtures that aren’t quite traditional but still aren’t contemporary either. Thus, for anyone searching the net for information on transition lighting, they will be faced with one of two possibilities:
1) They’ll come across a bunch of sites trying to sell you transitional lighting fixtures without explaining the design characteristics of the style itself, or
2) They will learn that transitional lighting refers to a slow but gradual increase or decrease in lighting from one place to another which reduces glare.
None of these research findings bring you closer to understanding the nature of transitional lighting. A closer examination of websites dedicated to architecture and interior design reveals that they don’t really recognize transitional lighting style per se. Any style that blends different aspects of separate styles is generally referred to as “transitional”. Therefore, what one person might consider as transition lighting is not necessarily going to be done by another. This fact becomes apparent when one looks at various manufacturers and retailers and sees a wide range of transitional lighting fixtures from which to choose. Obviously, the category itself has become a kind of “inclusive” for describing and selling combinations that don’t fit adequately into any formal design pattern.
What can be said of transitional lighting in a formal sense is that it is generally referred to as a “feminine” style because of the smooth lines that characterize most fixtures of this variety. The square foundation of the style is borrowed from the Mission Lighting style and helps distinguish transitional lighting fixtures from those of the contemporary style. Those who want a “cozy feel” in their homes usually choose transitional style because it has a warmer feel than contemporary style but is not quite as formal as classic or traditional.
Transition lighting is already hard to pin down, but its combination of the elegance of the old and the sterility of the contemporary makes it a practical and creative style of choice when decorating your home.
