Lighting design is brightening the home decor landscape. The advent of LEDs has been illuminating, and it was led to the rethinking of shapes and mixing of materials. Besides offering more versatile design, the smaller light-emitting diodes are attractive because they consume less energy and last longer.

By 2030, LED lighting will account for 75 percent of all lighting sales, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Switching to LEDS just over the next two decades could save the U.S. $250 billion in energy costs.

Leading the innovation is the pendant light, which continues to wend its way through nearly every room of the house. Often a staple in kitchens, where it shows up in pairs or a trio for task lighting over counters, the pendant has grown in size and importance. It is now taking on the chandelier -- even with its price tag, as the range may be from a few hundred dollars to just under $4,000.

"Everybody loves the pendant," say the folks at the LampsPlus catalog, suggesting it could be because of its artistry or its practicality.

"Without a doubt, the pendant chandelier is one of the most exciting types of hanging light fixtures available today," the Shades of Light catalog states. "A unique alternative to chandeliers, pendants can make a dramatic impact."

Some even suggest that for millennials, the pendant is simply a hip chandelier. While it may feature crystals or quartz that make it fancier, it's not as ostentatious as the more glitzy formal dining fixture, a plus for a younger generation, but also for Baby Boomers who are looking to simplify.

Although the discussion could well be semantic, Cecil Adams, creative director for Currey and Company, an Atlanta-based lighting and furniture brand, still holds on to the old-school definition: "To me, a pendant is a light bulb on a string."

He did concede, though, that usage has pushed the pendant to more creative applications, as well as more innovative designs that cross categories. There is stunning, artisan handblown glass, clear or colored, wavy, seeded or mottled. Fabric that's puckered or sheer, stretched over geometric frames. Paper that resembles puffy clouds. Wood or steel that's bent, laser cut or perforated so that light dances through it, as in charming Moroccan lanterns.

"We do show and sell a lot of our fixtures in multiples," says Adams. "Someone might purchase three to take place of a traditional chandelier, or hang in clusters in stairwells, foyers, powder rooms, or above a fancy bath tubs," sometimes staggering the heights for interest.

"Pendant lighting has become huge," says Patricia Davis Brown, a licensed interior designer and certified kitchen and bath designer based in Vero Beach, Florida. Davis Brown, a member of the trend-forecasting panel for the National Kitchen and Bath Association, says that horizontal formats and gold finishes are especially engaging. "And the size of the pendant has gotten much larger," she notes, with LEDs and other lights as well.

Davis Brown's blog, Dig This Design (digthisdesign.net) includes features on lighting from trends to tips.

She cites the crossover of drum lampshades to pendant styles that put the light inside as a pivotal point -- a handsome, modern option. "Some had a shabby chic style," she says. "The look is industrial, traditional, for a lot of mix and match in decor."

As we become acclimated to more substantial volumes and shapes, the design envelope continues to be pushed. You'll find styles that parallel what's happening in furnishings -- so mid-century modern, a hint of Art Deco, industrial and neo-Chinese, as well as forms compatible with emerging '70s looks are among them, and also finishes of the moment, like gold-matte and polished, burnished bronze and copper.

To track what's trending in pendants, just page through current home design magazines or retail or specialty catalogs like Lumens (www.lumens.com), LampsPlus (www.lampsplus.com) and Shades of Light (www.shadesoflight.com). You'll often find handy tips about styles, where to use and how to hang.

Some of the most prevalent directions in pendants include:

-- Seeing the light. Looking though a fixture to its light source -- Edison bulbs, LED tubes or candle lights is a favorite in industrial style. Sometimes the dressed bare bulb has beefed up or refined by a textural collar of metalwork around it, as the Hooked/Nude bulb pendant from the London brand Buster and Punch. A few years back, a conventional chandelier hung inside an acrylic box or a drum shade, surprised, with its modern, cool layered effect. Now, there's a whole new cagey category, with metal wires, rods thick black graphic frames or narrow wood strips geometrically composed to frame the light. Or in a globe crisscrossed in a string-like effect, as the 24-inch Nido Orb from Currey and Company. Or a spoke-y oval shape by Foscarini that spotlights its light source at the base, also a downlight.

-- Out of this world. Movies like "Star Wars" and "The Martian" seem to have revved up interest, but perhaps it's simply nostalgia for '50s and '60s expressions of space in galaxies, constellations or satellites. The '60s vintage Sputnik lighting by the Italian company Stilnovo is cousins with Regina Andrew's Constellation collection. Many examples in this genre have 15 or more lights. The Copernico 500 suspension lamp from Artemide, which features seven concentric circles cut from a single aluminum plate, supports 384 white LEDs. The orbs also rotate independently on two axes, allowing a range of spatial configurations, as well as closing to a completely flat plane.

-- Thin skins. Isamu Noguchi's paper light sculptures have been an icon of mid-century design, with simple crafting from handmade washi paper and bamboo ribbing in metal frames. Parisian lighting designer Celine Wright added copper foil as an accent to her Japanese paper lights in sun and moon shapes. Today, paper and fabric, some in a stretchy fiber, are being explored in a variety of looks like cotton candy, folded organic looks like nautilus, or pleated or ruched material.

-- Shaping up. With a palette including wood, stainless steel, resin, and plastics, designers are exploring ways to bend and shape, creating ribboning and ribbing, as in a bell-shaped pendant by the Scandinavian brand Muuto (available thru Lumens), which is finished in felt that hugs its fluted frame. But even traditional shapes show a spunky side with unexpected color, like four stripey bands in a pleasant range of hues on the aluminum Cirque collection, from another Scandinavian manufacturer, Louis Poulsen.

-- Tiering up. From meshy chain mail to dangling crystals and quartz to mirrored glass (Global Views), these layered pendants beef up volume and offer interesting pairings. A pendant "chandelier" from LUXXU that channels the interior architecture of New York's Guggenheim Museum, for example, features four stacked gold-plated brass bands, from which dangle graduated strands of black Swarovski crystals.

-- Surface interest. Textures and dimensions are explored with materials unusual for lighting, such as concrete, at Regina Andrew, and laser cutting and perforation, digitally etched metals as well as three-dimensional layering from Tom Dixon. One pendant from Kelly Wearstler resembles a porcupine: It's an assemblage of thin rods pointing out, with LEDS nestled within.

-- Lining up. You may notice that this type of linear rectangular or elliptical pendant or chandelier also is referred to as "suspension lighting," because it is suspended by one to three cords, depending on its length. Hybrids feature arms coming out of a smallish central globe or twisting, turning and angling about. The linear look has become a go-to for modern style and is resonating not only in use over counters and dining tables, but even in hallways, says Cecil Adams, where a narrow configuration may be more suitable. ET2 Lighting (at Lumens) features an arresting fixture with 24 LEDS suspended in glass droplets from a metallic canopy.

-- Strength in numbers. Designers have played with positioning by staggering pendant heights, sometimes even mixing sizes and shapes. The effect can be quite artistic, like light sculpture that adds a new dynamic to space. Kichler's Danika linear suspension is an example. Simple steel pendants with adjustable arms, in a white finish and natural wood accents, are assembled in three heights. Lighting designers surely have taken note, and are "pre-assembling." John Pomp's glass lights are especially impressive, as they combine clusters of up to 20 under a square or round canopy.

With so many options, consider your needs for the strength of light you need as well as making a statement.

"Decorative lighting is there to create a mood," says Davis Brown. "Lighting is so important for the ambience of a room."

Sources

-- Jonathan Adler, 800-963-0891, www.jonathanadler.com

-- AERIN, 866-647-3330, www.aerin.com

-- Arturo Alvarez, www.arturo-alvarez.com

-- Regina Andrew, 734-250-8042, www.reginaandrew.com

-- Artemide, 877-278-9111, www.artemide.net

-- Baker Furniture, 800-592-2537, www.bakerfurniture.com

-- Buster + Punch, info@busterandpunch.com, www.busterandpunch.com

-- Currey and Company, 877-768-6428, www.curreycodealers.com

-- Tom Dixon, 212-228-7337, www.tomdixon.net

-- Elk Lighting, 866-344-3875, www.elklightinglights.com

-- Flos, 888-952-9541, www.flos.com

-- Framburg Lighting, 800-796-5514, www.framburg.com

-- Global Lighting, 800-326-0725, www.globallighting.com

-- Hubbardton Forge, 800-826-4766, hubbardtonforge.com

-- LightArt, a 3form company, 206-524-2223, www.lightart.com

-- John Pomp, 215-426-7667, www.johnpomp.com

-- Kichler, 866-558-5706, www.kichler.com

-- Louis Poulsen, 954-349-2525, www.louispoulsen.com

-- LZF, based in Valencia, Spain, distributed through Lumens Catalog, 877-445-4486, www.lumens.com

-- Northern Lighting, distributed by Global Lighting (800-326-0725, www.globallighting.com)

-- Studio A Home, a Global Views Company (globalviews.com), studioa-home.com

-- David Trubridge (www.davidtrubridge.com), distributed through Lightology, 866-954-4489, www.lightology.com

-- Visual Comfort and Company, 866-344-3875, www.visualcomfortlightinglights.com

-- Waterworks, 800-899-6757, www.waterworks.com

-- Kelly Wearstler, Kelly Wearstler Online Store, 855-295-3559, www.kellywearstler.com

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Fashionistas know all about statement pieces -- especially accessories like the perfect piece of jewelry, scarf or handbag that totally makes an outfit. We don't talk about them as much in the context of home decor, but of course, they exist -- and can be pivotal in kicking up the design of a room.

And that's the beauty of shopping for a singular sensation. It can be as large as a sofa or bed, a chair or side table, bedding, tableware, a faucet, tub or even hardware. Size doesn't necessarily matter. The price can be high end -- or not. The main thing is that the piece makes a difference -- which, as Bernie Sanders might say, is HUGE.

Furnishings may be standouts because of color, shape, pattern, texture or materials. Some are unabashed showoffs; others quietly attract -- especially upon closer observation, perhaps because of subtle details, like an unexpected mix of materials, a silky finish, a striking trim or a quirky, seemingly random painted foot on a chair.

Introducing pops of bold color usually spells drama, and we see it time and again in an otherwise neutral space. But the impact of a violet sofa, for example, is amplified in a design that trumps that color with all kinds of shape -- namely "bubbles" that cover the entire surface. The three-seat sofa, designed by Sacha Lakic for Roche Bobois, is clad in 3-D or proprietary 4-D stretchy fabric over padding that gives it shape.

A simple modern form in a long, track-armed sofa called Grey, engages in colors like turmeric or a rich teal/turquoise, further appealing in a tactile, textural felt. At Interior Define, a made-to-order e-tail company in Chicago (which also has a brick-and-mortar showroom), you can customize size, feet, arms, and fabric (from available stock) at a lower price point than competitors. Kiln-dried hardwoods, quality foam and down filling are standard.

Pastels also have been making a mark in home decor from furniture to housewares. But imagine the impact of a pink or blue in the kitchen, especially with a large appliance. One of the most buzzed about introductions at this year's Kitchen and Bath show was from the French manufacturer La Cornue. The company teamed up with Atlanta-based designer Suzanne Kasler, whose Couleur palette for its super luxe classic range includes pink, mint and a pale blue-green.

Adding pattern creates another dynamic. Again, it can be explosive, as in a dominating wallcovering pattern or impactful as a piece of art. The art deco-influenced Victor lacquer cabinet from Roche Bobois is such an example. The simple two-color version in red or bittersweet and cream is a showpiece, and the high-gloss finish adds to its glamour. Variations of the pattern are available, some in multiple hues, like two shades of orange and brown.

Geometry comes into play in the form of dimensional objects, and one of the coolest introductions at this year's International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York is a clock by deconstructivist architect Daniel Libeskind. The designer deviates from conventional shape, alluding to "the labyrinth of time," on his sketch for the angular, disarming timepiece: "Time is not circular; it veers sharply to mark the event as unexpected -- as the clock itself."

Equally intriguing is the teaming of a geometric pattern with an overlay of florals, a device that has been cropping up in textile and rug designs. The effect of a watercolor of large-scale abstract florals adds softness as well as movement to a fretwork backdrop. Jeff Leatham, the very highly regarded floral designer at the George V hotel in Paris, designed a colorful range of silk and wool carpets for Tai Ping.

While a rug may anchor a room, it also can be a considerable expense. Bed linens, on the other hand, are easier on the budget. Changing out monochromatic duvet covers and pillows for patterns can shift the vibe from bland to wow, particularly with large-scale designs in high contrast colors. A medallion print in navy on white from Serena and Lily pops against a neutral linen headboard.

Stripes -- either on walls or on furniture -- are can't miss, kick-it-up-a-notch options. But one chair that stood out at the spring High Point furniture market played them unexpectedly -- a pinstripe cladding the upper frame of a traditional chair, and cabriole-ish legs, one foot going totally rogue in red paint.

Patterns inspired by nature are perennial hits, and this year palms are especially popular (they were a persistent theme in Parisian textiles). A bold-scale print called Wild Thing from Flavor Paper celebrates a jungle-y vibe that can be as daring as you choose. Interior designer Ghislaine Vinas created a version of the iconic banana leaf paper when she was researching tropical Indochine style and couldn't find her vision.

Butterflies also are favorite subjects, and though they fill dinner plates and fabrics in beautiful colors, one of the most enchanting treatments is 3-D -- a swarm that flutters from the canopy into the globe of the Nymph chandelier from Koket. And beehives sparked a design of bookshelves for Roche Bobois, with the outlines constructed of black nickel.

Dimensional patterns add another layer to design, and metal offers a suitable medium. An art nouveau-inspired floral design carved into the sides of Bernhardt's Sasha chair, then clad in German silver, lend lustrous beauty. Hardware like the Lenny Kravitz-designed Trousdale collection for Rocky Mountain, speaks an edgy language with deep carvings in hand-cast metal, and a new collection of faucets by DXV (American Standard) are all the more thrilling because they actually are 3-D printed in stainless steel.

Our interest in natural materials remains piqued, and stone continues to offer enormous potential for designers. A set of small brass side tables by designer Kelly Wearstler is so much more special with turquoise and quartz tops, whose natural veining rival anything manmade. And the simple shape of a mushroom top is transformed with alabaster in a lamp called Tartufo by Anna New York. It's available on brass or polished nickel.

Sometimes it's the simplicity of design that speaks volumes. A bench by Brooklyn-based Katy Spengler has an almost Shaker-like, spartan look. Its frame is unadorned pale wood. But its upholstered linen top (or your choice of fabric) is plumped with down, sectioned into "seats" with leather straps attached with gold ball fasteners, creating a quartet of plump poufs that invite taking a load off.

That such eye candy delights goes without saying, but comfortable seating in a statement piece almost seems like a perk.

Sources

-- Alessi, store.alessi.com (for online orders)

-- Anna New York, www.annanewyork.com (check website for retailer locations)

-- Anthropologie, 800-309-2500, www.anthropologie.com

-- Bernhardt, 866-527-9099, www.bernhardt.com

-- Bunakara, www.bunakara.com

-- DXV/American Standard, 800-227-2734, www.dxv.com

-- Flavor Paper, 718-422-0230, www.flavorpaper.com

-- Interior Define, 872-802-4119, www.interiordefine.com

-- Katy Skelton, 912-306-0003, www.katyskelton.com

-- Kelly Wearstler/EJ Victor, 855-295-3559, www.kellywearstler.com

-- Koket, 571-288-5269, www.bykoket.com

-- La Cornue, through distributer Purcell Murray, 800-457-1356, www.lacornueusa.com

-- Roche Bobois, 212-889-0700, www.roche-bobois.com

-- Rocky Mountain Hardware, 888-788-2013, www.rockymountainhardware.com

-- Serena & Lilly, 866-597-2742, www.serenaandlily.com

-- Tai Ping, 212-979-2233, www.taipingcarpets.com

-- THG USA, 954-425-8225, www.thgusa.com

-- Tom Dixon, 212-228-7337, www.tomdixon.net

-- Walker Zanger, 818-280-8300, www.walkerzanger.com

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Housewares manufacturers worth their salt mine lifestyle trends for leads, shaping development and design of their next best products. And with a focus on healthy eating, time and space-saving, as well as a continued craving for the best ways to make macchiatos and chai at home, it's not surprising that there will be plenty to address those categories on retail shelves this spring and summer. And the best examples, of course, are stylishly delivered.

As in other sectors of home decor, there's a dash of fashion as well, with emphasis on cool shapes and on-trend colors and patterns. The theme at this spring's Housewares Show in Chicago touched on another hot button: smart design.

It's actually smART, meant to signify an intersection of art and engineering, technology and style. And although the Internet of Things continues to wend its way into home products, its unrealized potential is much more compelling. The smart kitchen market is projected to be worth as much as $10 billion by the early 2020s, according to Transparency Market Research.

As in kitchen design, with the synching up of smartphones with ranges that tell you when the roast is done, here comes an impressive 13-function cooker from Gourmia. It features a 7-inch LED touch screen with a mobile app. And it guides the user through a recipe -- sensing when the correct ingredient has been added, and moving on to the next step with visual and audible prompts.

As housewares covers everything from air purifiers to vacuum cleaners and hair dryers, cookware to food products and serveware, plus storage and containers, cleaning and grooming products, Wi-Fi enabling sometimes is more a convenience than a sexy add-on. But, then, there's the PancakeBot, whose prototype we saw last year. It allows you to print your own pancake design by inserting an SD card or USB flash drive (or you can download designs).

In today's cookware, health is underscored as much as new colors.

"Fresh is the single most important buzzword associated with healthy eating today," says Tom Mirabile, senior vice president of global trend and design for Lifetime Brands Inc. "There's also more focus on mindful living or taking the time to savor both process and consumption."

Ceramic coatings as an alternative to nonstick are gaining traction. So are pressure cookers -- with their apparent speed, tenderizing, and the ability to extract flavors from ingredients all strong selling points. Some manufacturers, like Fagor, are slimming down models while offering desirable features, such as overheat warnings.

Slow cookers are not going away. But after four decades or so, they're attracting new followers. Fresh prep and convenience (start a meal before you leave for work; enjoy it when you get home) have contributed to the sale of 12.6 million slow cookers in the year ending in June 2015, totaling $334.1 million, according to the NPD Group Inc., a Port Washington, New York-based global information company.

One-pot cooking is especially popular among millennials because of its simplicity, back-to-basics appeal and familiarity of classic dishes, according to the National Restaurant Association's "What's Hot in 2016" study.

And while it's covered at the high-end with built-in appliances, stove or countertop steamers are a significant option. Cuisinart's new glass model is especially attractive with its sleek, compact, transparent form. Air frying also is heating up (a sleek black model from Kalorik adds to last year's Emeril Lagasse launch). And for those who would prefer grinding their own grains, there's L'Chef's NutriMill.

Popular foodie trends, like French press and pour-over coffee as alternatives to expensive, high-tech barista-type coffee makers, also are turning more attention to design. An expanding range of sea salts and peppercorns led one manufacturer, Peugeot, to design the Zanzibar pepper bar: a tray with a trio of interchangeable peppercorn containers. Color has been a mainstay of housewares for several years now; its breakout, perhaps, unleashed with the proliferation of silicone.

"With consumers increasingly comfortable using color as a form of expression, we are seeing more experimentation and creative uses of color throughout the home, and nowhere has this showcasing of color been more pronounced than in the kitchen," offered Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute.

Pantone's co-colors of the year, shades of Pink Quartz and Serenity (a pale lavender-based blue) showed up in Le Creuset's enameled cast-iron cookware (adding rosy Hibiscus, part of its retro-inspired Oasis collection, to an existing Pink Chiffon), and in Keurig's single-serve limited-edition brewer, an ode to Serenity.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, says the calmness of the two resonates, helping consumers "escape the stress of their modern lives, offering reassurance and security in difficult times."

Cookware hues seem to hit all home decor trend categories, some echoing a current fondness for all shades of blue. Warm metallics also are making an impact, most significantly copper and burnished gold. Nambe, known for its signature silver metal, is refreshed with burnished oven and freezer options to tableware, as well as mixed pieces sporting gold handles. In addition, metallic is adding luster to solid colors like sapphire and ruby with Epicurious cookware and colanders.

Other home decor directions also resonate: the appreciation for natural, organic materials like wood manifests in everything from handles on pots to beautifully grained cutting boards and trays to knife blocks in a range of woods that also feature embellishments, including contrasting metal accents. There is also the teaming of wood with white marble or white powder-coated aluminum in accessories and benches teamed with storage from Umbra.

It's worth noting that texture also is playing a bigger role in housewares, as in dimensional surfaces in the home. The popular raised diamond motif, for example, which has surfaced on everything from vases to console doors, is especially dynamic in metallic finishes on sports canteens. Also, hammered looks in metal further distinguish cookware, with some luxe examples offered by the Italian company Ruffoni.

Patterns are more playful in tabletop and canisters, with signature polka dots and stripes channeling iconic brands like Kate Spade. And, of course, they're most buoyant in products especially suitable for outdoor entertaining. Brands like TarHong and French Bull cover the rainbow gamut, along with motifs in paisley, tropical, geometric, as well as frosted glass looks in bold hues. French Bull's patterned spatulas and utensils also brighten up kitchen counters. And that company took one of its signature zigzag patterns to dress pantry storage containers.

With cameras monitoring what's in the fridge (Samsung's newest pricy model; although you can purchase your own mini-camera to do the same), is it just a matter of time that we'll be able to track most everything in our homes, and signal what's run out directly to shopping lists on our smartphones?

Trend forecaster Tom Mirabile sees the future in more practical terms. Innovation, he says, no longer trickles down but gushes out. "The future is about convenience and anything that saves consumers time. This can be as high-tech as a robotic cleaning device or as low-tech as a food prep kit that is delivered to your door."

Sources

-- Alessi, 877-253-7749, www.alessi.com

-- Cuisinart, 800-726-0190, www.cuisinart.com

-- Debbie Meyer, www.debbiemeyercakecutters.com

-- Fagor, 800-207-0806, www.fagoramerica.com

-- Farberware, 800-809-7166, www.farberware.com

-- French Bull, 212-317-9646, www.frenchbull.com

-- Gourmia, 888-552-0033, www.gourmia.com

-- JK Adams, 866-362-4422, www.jkadams.com

-- Keurig, 866-901-2739, www.keurig.com

-- Le Creuset, 877-418-5547, www.lecreuset.com

-- Maker Homeware, 844-220-6441, www.makerhomeware.com

-- Maia Ming, www.maiamingdesigns.com

-- NutriMill, 800-692-6724, www.nutrimill.com

-- Peugeot, 877-777-5914, www.peugeot-saveurs.com

-- Pyrex, 800-999-3436, www.pyrexware.com

-- Ruffoni, an Italian brand under the umbrella of Meyer Corp., 800-888-3883, www.ruffoni.net

-- Sabatier, a French brand under the umbrella of Lifetime Brands Cutlery, 800-252-3390, www.sabatier-shop.com

-- Takeya, 714-374-9900, ext. 314, www.takeyausa.com

-- TarHong, 212-689-2710, www.tarhong.com

-- Tefal, 800-395-8325, www.tfal.com

-- Umbra, 800-387-5122, www.umbra.com

SIDEBAR

A Cut Above

Simplifying tasks stylishly is an underlying goal for some housewares manufacturers with an eye on design. A pizza cutter, for example, can be sleek, show off unexpected curves and fit elegantly into the hand. Alessi's newest fills the bill. A cake slicer should do the job without mangling the dessert. Debbie Meyers' design gives even those less skilled a boost. And even behind-the-door storage is best when conveniences, like lift-up handles, are added to stylish looks, as with Takeya's Freshlook containers.

(For editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker at chooker@amuniversal.com.)