In the most soigne magazine spreads, and at designer show houses, hotels and major retailers all over the world, lighting has become much more than a footnote. It can be a tour de force. Thousands of pieces of porcelain flutter like birds from the ceiling to the ground floor in a multistory stairway, commanding as much attention as a Dale Chihuly sculpture. Feathery poufs stretch across a dining table, an ethereal glow within. Light shines through pastel glass lamps to create an enchanting scene.

Sometimes edgy and often brilliant, modern lighting designs go beyond lighting a room. About four years ago, the French brand Blackbody lit the way to innovation at the Maison et Objet trade show in Paris. An overhead constellation dazzled, in a sinuous composition of staggered-height OLEDs (organic light emitting diodes). It was unlike what designers had seen before, intended to be experiential. Then, in 2016, another installation showed the capabilities of bendable light, which was applied like irregular pieces of stone or wallcovering against a black ground.

Bolstered by such impressive installations, lighting has moved into the worlds of theater and even art. At the SOFA (Sculpture Objects Functional Art and Design) show in Chicago in November, artist Anthony James created the 5-foot Portal, a polyhedron with 20 faces, fitted with LED tubes illuminating mirrors within, giving the illusion of infinity.

Even more conventional forms are elevated with staging. British designer Lee Broom set up his minimalistic light fixtures in a series of narrow spaces for effect; the Observatory collection launched at Salone del Mobile last spring in Milan. And in April, all design eyes will be on that show, because it's time for the biennial Euroluce, where the most innovative lighting will be introduced.

While LEDs have expanded creative tools for designers with their compact size and capability of changing color, a mixture of materials has broadened the range for more conventional lighting as well.

Tom Dixon has tapped into special production and finishing techniques, creating glass orbs that look like melting-hot blown glass and other iridescent pieces that appear to look like oil on water.

So, now, homeowners who want lighting that's directional, decorative and inspiring have plenty of choices in scale, height and width, with long horizontals and verticals. Materials range from warm and cool metals, which can be very architectural or sculptural in highly polished to matte finishes, to textiles and beads, shells and wood to crystal and glass, which offers a rainbow range of color and opacities.

YLighting, a catalog with the tagline "The Best in Modern Lighting," suggests that modern "isn't just about a look," explaining that "modern design ... pushes the boundaries of innovation and possibility, propelling you into new frontiers of technology, material and artistry."

Designers, of course, take their inspirations from a variety of sources, including fashion. When Martyn Lawrence Bullard debuted a new collection for Corbett Lighting at High Point in the fall, one stunning piece was a circle studded with metal and hand-blown glass flowers. His muse was Chanel -- namely, the silk camellias in the fashion designer's atelier, and the piece reflects his take on her whimsical elegance.

Bullard's collection includes aged beaten brass sconces that look like pea pods, fixtures covered in hand-blown Venetian glass butterflies flirting about a gilded metal frame, mid-century-inspired acacia shades on sculptural chandeliers that pay homage to similar designs from 1950s Italy, striking with the mottled wood finish paired with black and a touch of gold. Simple frosted globes in chic burnished brass take inspiration from '40s Parisian cafes.

"There's a very strong visual," says Bullard, "very sexy lines. I wanted to create this aged image -- like lights in a French diner where someone was smoking for the last 50 years. We managed to do it without the nicotine, just wax," he says, laughing.

Some of the smaller pendants, he says, would be great in a kitchen, where they may not be expected. "That's really what this collection is all about -- for designers, homeowners to create their own look within the fantasy."

Gold, paired with either black frames or white spheres, has been enormously popular, just like the appeal of this warm metal in other areas of home decor.

"I feel that lighting is like jewelry," says the Bullard. "It's a finishing touch. It sparkles in a room." In one frosted glass globe suspended in a gold framework, he sees a beautiful earring pendant.

Even the details on vintage crystal chandeliers may well be reminiscent of jewelry. A few years ago, chain mail was popular as a medium, lending a kind of punk rock vibe. Sea shells and beads lend themselves well to coastal or boho looks. Regina Andrew presented a similar look in painted wood beads, enchanting in a blush hue in drum or chandelier styles. But the beads took on a new hip attitude as a lampshade topping a squarish wood column base.

Los Angeles-based designer Windsor Smith riffed on a strapped bench that she had previously designed for Arteriors for a new table lamp. She repeated the gray suede straps and applied them to the base of a table lamp, which she topped with a simple white rectangular shade.

Another West Coast designer, Jonathan Browning, reached back to the '60s and '70s for his latest collection for McGuire Furniture, which he says pays homage to the brand's "quintessential California ethos." The Morro chandelier is visually light, with shapes of dandelions in antique brass and plated steel stems that flow out from a solid core, dotted with handmade porcelain spheres.

And Browning's Jalama pendant features hanging strands of vintage brown bottle glass, like those worn from sand and surf, that recall the eclectic doorway dividers once a mainstay in 1960s California.

Using sustainable materials also is a strong development in current lighting design. One Thai brand, Ango, employs rattan, cocoons, mulberry bark and metal filigree.

Another area poised for growth is that of acoustical lighting. Though designed primarily for office and hospitality spaces with materials that absorb sound, these innovative pendants and sconces are particularly useful in condos or apartments, as well as hotels.

Drama created by light is not a new concept -- think sound and light shows at historic monuments like the Pyramids or the Acropolis. But new technology, unique combinations, unexpected materials and refined finishing techniques are generating the wow factor today.

It may be a statement piece -- organic, sculptural or architectural, color-changing lights that add a new dynamic, textiles that celebrate tactility, materials that baffle sound, or synthetics designed for outdoor use that look so good, you want to bring them indoors.

With such an enormous variety, it may be a challenge to choose. Check out design magazines, blogs and retail catalogs for some insights. Here are some ideas on how to light up design:

-- Set an artistic tone with impact lighting in the foyer.

-- Take advantage of height in a two-, three- or four-story stairwell with lighting that can extend from the ceiling to the ground floor.

-- Try a sleek modern piece in a traditional setting -- like a light tube framed in gold, which will add a warm touch.

-- Go small for a big statement, perhaps ganging a trio of pendants at the same or staggered heights.

-- Use a long corridor as a canvas for two or three large-scale pendants.

-- Make a powder room memorable with lighting that reflects with glass prisms, crystals or polished metal

Sources

-- Ango, available through wakaNINE, www.wakanine.com, 512-284-9672

-- Artemide, www.artemide.com, 212-925-1588

-- BlackBody, www.blackbody.fr/en, New York showroom, 212-625-0050

-- Bover Barcelona, www.bover.es/en, 404-924-2342

-- BuzziSpace, www.buzzispace.com, 336-821-3150

-- Corbett Lighting, www.corbettlighting.com, 626-336-4511

-- Lee Broom, www.leebroom.com, 212-804-8477, available through YLighting or Lumens

-- McGuire Furniture, www.mcguirefurniture.com, 800-592-2537

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

-- Roche Bobois, www.roche-bobois.com, 212-799-0090

-- Se, www.se-collections.com; in the U.S., through Atelier Gary Lee, 312-644-4400

-- Y Lighting, www.ylighting.com, 855-726-1962

Although nostalgia still kindles much of the decorating fever for the holidays, there are modern options to satisfy those looking for pops of color other than traditional red and green and seeking inspiration for fresh ideas to incorporate with the family-standard, tried-and-true.

Few probably deck their halls with boughs of holly -- at least not the fresh variety, mostly because it's not available everywhere, its shelf life is short, and curling and wilting are not so attractive.

The aroma of fresh garlands made of Douglas or Fraser fir or pine, though, are hard to resist. Others love that southern favorite: magnolia leaves, with their shiny dark green foliage and distinctive cinnamon backsides.

If you prefer no-fuss garlands that can become part of your annual ornamentation wardrobe, that category has exploded. It's not really surprising, as all social mores have morphed to a casual modern standard. To wit, a welcome mat that says: "Come in if you have prosecco" (at Grandinroad.com).

So if you want easy-maintenance greenery, there are convincing lookalikes. Even better, if you like them embellished, you'll find a choice of ornaments, pine cones, metallic balls, bells, berries and ribbons, even some with a pre-lit option. If you fret about missing that amazing aroma that comes with the real thing, just light a pine candle or squirt with a woodsy room spray (at Williams-Sonoma), which will make your home smell like an evergreen forest, with pine, cedar, patchouli and citrus notes.

Of course, garlands can be crafted from anything bendable -- so you can swag, drape and festoon over a variety of surfaces. Old-fashioned stringing of popcorn, cranberries or pine cones, mixing in lemons and oranges with greens for a popular Colonial Williamsburg style still is a popular family tradition.

Just the suggestion of such a humble approach -- the stringing of iridescent capiz shell buttons on a Christmas tree (available at Ballard Designs) -- is a charming nod to retro and homemade. One striking new look is that of black wooden beads (on trend with the elevation of matte black in home decor) at Crate and Barrel, and especially striking doubled up on a white marble mantel. And who says berries have to be red? A delicate spray of blueberries from Terrain can shift the decorating dynamic. They're enchanting around a gilt framed mirror.

In recent years, decorations have been tailored to interior decor styles. And with the range of colors and materials, from simple and textural to natural, including pine cones and berries, and even blingy -- think gold, silver and copper beads or even glittery -- there's a special appreciation for the artisanal and craft.

Garlands are an easy way to add a dash of seasonal cheer for Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's. What's cool about the variety and price range (from around $20 to $500) is that you can mix up styles that blend with your existing decor. Metallic shines in both traditional and modern rooms, adding warmth and sparkle, especially with candlelight. Suzanne Kasler's mercury glass ball garland does that with lustrous tarnished silver (from Ballard Designs).

For Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke of Madcap Cottage, an interior design business and home product development firm in High Point, North Carolina, known for mixing patterns, the holidays are the best time for busting out all their tis-the-season-to-be-jolly decorating moves.

"John is a mini Martha Stewart," says Nixon. "There's a whole section of our attic for Christmas, with vintage, like grandmothers' glass balls. We have two trees. It's very tasteful. But we go all out."

And there are garlands. "We mix it up -- always some pine, some preserved magnolia," Nixon adds. "Often, we wrap them in trim -- pompoms are a favorite for us. Trim is having such a big moment (in home decor) right now. So we like to bring it into the home at holiday time. We love grosgrain ribbon. Nothing better than bows."

Besides bows, tassels and fluffy pompoms are lending a hygge (pronounced HUE-guh, that Danish description for cozy), celebratory spirit. From single hues to variegated multicolors or pastels, as well as gold, standard scale to oversized, these garlands are versatile because they're easy to handle. One imaginative garland pairs faux fur pompoms that look like mini snowballs, with skinny red and white candy-cane-like strands in a sweet design from Anthropologie.

The look and feel of handcrafted is playing a larger role in garland design. The use of felt is reminiscent of homespun DIY ornaments and tree skirts. At Anthropologie, one colorful felt garland combines embroidered leaves and berries. Another at Crate and Barrel is a modern take on leaves and berries, with flat shapes and dimensional berries.

Nixon says that he totally gets the crafts

"We were kids of the '70s, so ... construction paper," he says. Like the handmade link garlands often made by children in school.

A festive garland at West Elm is crafted from gold-spattered black paper in pennant shapes. With its modern vibe and on-trend black-with-gold combination, the garland is perfect for ushering in the new year. Some metal chain garlands are so much like necklaces that you can imagine them dressing up a mantel all the way up to Valentine's Day.

Spread the cheer all over the house -- even in spaces that might get overlooked, like powder rooms, bedrooms, even the laundry room. Tiny bell garlands like those from Jim Marvin at Crate and Barrel can be nestled into bowls on a table (perhaps along with fairy lights) or festooned around a rolling bar cart or one spread out with hors d'oeuvres or dessert.

Colorful glass ornaments in unexpected brights like magenta, pink, citrus and turquoise separated by small gold beads from Horchow assume an important role nestled around the arm of a chandelier. A massive garland from Frontgate, dotted with glittery gold ornaments and ribbons, becomes lavish wall ornamentation above a brass console table.

Banisters, of course, can be dazzling with garlands; some like to hang stockings there as well. In the Frontgate catalog there is a particularly elegant example, as the stairs are lined with flameless candles and one railing hosts lush faux greenery.

Hang garlands above door frames (outside and in), around mirrors and chandeliers, across windows -- a shock of red berries is equally powerful on a white or a black frame -- around the posts of a four-post bed or at the footboard.

So enjoy whatever kind of garland delights your imagination ... anything to get into the spirit of the season. Before long, you might have visions of sugar plums dancing in your head.

Sources

-- Crate and Barrel, 800-967-6696, www.crateandbarrel.com

-- Frontgate, 888-263-9850, www.frontgate.com

-- Horchow, 877-944-9888, www.horchow.com

-- Pottery Barn, 888-779-5176, www.potterybarn.com

-- Terrain, 877-583-7724, www.shopterrain.com

-- Wisteria, 800-320-9757, www.wisteria.com

-- West Elm, 888-922-4119, www.westelm.com

For most families, the dining table is the centerpiece of holiday events. Whether set formally, casually or buffet style, it's the gathering spot, where favorite seasonal foods are shared, and lively conversations flow like the spirits.

The festivities start with fall -- and a change in seasons in most parts of the country -- leading up to Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, and then Christmas and New Year's Eve to kick off winter. It's the richest stretch of home entertaining, much of which revolves around food. Most of us want the table to be at its coziest, but also special, elegant, memorable, beautiful, simple.

Many retailers feature blogs on their websites to get you in a holiday mood and (hopefully) remove a bit of stress. And new etail sites like Fete Home (www.fetehome.com) offer a curated assortment of products, including tableware, that are eye-catching and distinctive across categories from chinoiserie to modern. It's a collaboration of two former executives to New York designer and tastemaker Bunny Williams.

Even most creatures of habit like to tweak their standard tabletop settings. Mixing something old with something gold or something new. Tapping into something holiday themed, which might include table linens -- runners, cloths, napkins. And fashioning some kind of focal point.

The concept of layering -- mixing up solid colors and patterns in dinnerware as well as glassware -- has been more and more embraced in recent years, which plays right into adding something new to the table -- and these days, that often means an artisanal touch.

At a recent tabletop show in New York, a few current trends spoke to the kind of products retailers currently have in their stores or online. Millennials have created some of the sea changes -- relaxing formality in favor of dressed-up casual, and adding different metal looks like gold and copper, as well as more color to flatware. A desire for modern looks, which includes black matte as well as white dinnerware that can be paired with colorful geometrics or other modern patterns.

There are plenty of options for dressing the holiday table.

You can't go wrong with a touch of gold or copper. The warm metallics have been embraced in home decor -- as furniture frames, threads in woven fabrics, picture frames and all kinds of accessories. On the table, metal chargers can add a sleek finishing touch, even to casual dinnerware. Gold-rimmed plates or serving platters in porcelain or glass add sparkle. And gold can shimmer as splashes or sprinkles on white or colored porcelain or on eglomise plates -- reverse painted glass -- which look as if they have been brushed with gold leaf. (One example is Reign, made out of soda lime glass, at Anthropologie.)

Some, like Constellation, with its moody deep blue ground, resemble their names -- in this case, a smattering of gold stars, which West Elm calls "serving up a side of subtle glam."

There also are a lot of gold-embellished patterns in usually plain barware. There's lots of gold flatware, as well, sometimes paired with black or even other surprising colors, like seafoam at Anthropologie.

Silver seems to especially complement blues on a Hanukkah table, where a selection of mercury glass candle holders can offer additional sparkle.

Matte-black finishes have been a popular look in everything from kitchen appliances to hardware to furniture frames and tables. In tableware, the no-sheen black commands attention, especially dramatic when placed on an unexpected tropical print runner, as shown at Crate and Barrel.

Of course, at this time of year, all of the popular seasonal motifs are trotted out, often as ornaments and other holiday decor. Traditional turkey platters or turkey-shaped tureens (white and gold offer some contemporary looks) are especially effective in all-white settings. Whimsically drawn turkeys (angular shapes in a modern palette) at Crate and Barrel bring artistry and a smile to the table. Other watercolored looks -- pastel-hued pumpkins and leaves, as well as rich-hued turkeys and birds -- have become a staple at Pottery Barn.

Dreidel and Hanukkah motifs also are refreshed each year. This year at Pottery Barn, a plate bears a blue-on-white dreidel, and there are embroidered white-on-blue napkins to match. The same is true with Santas, angels, nutcrackers and reindeer -- all popular candidates for new imagery, sometimes done with a wink and a smile, like a set of mod reindeers in party mode.

The enormous range of product also opens the door to more thoughtful, eclectic tables. Imperfect squiggly stripes, asymmetrical abstract painted looks, ikats and other globally inspired designs, bold geometrics (at Neiman Marcus) and geometric patterns -- some taken from the shapes of eggs or ornaments -- all in a lively assortment of colors, offer a rich tapestry for layering. Often these are salad or dessert plates sold in sets of four and perfect for layering.

Marble and gemstones like agate add a lush touch to serveware. A black marble footed cake stand teamed with a golden oval onyx serving board can be stunning additions to a holiday table or sideboard, say one for New Year's Eve. Marble and wood continues to be a favorite teaming, but this year there also are updated pairings like marble and copper dip bowls (West Elm) and stone patchworks that introduce colors such as forest green. Emerald is engaging in serveware, as in an enameled elongated oval plate from CB2.

Textures are a lot more prevalent in plates than ever before, but they can be introduced in other elements, such as nubby silks and linens, jute and bark cloth, as well as textured vinyls that create a backdrop for everything on the table. Faceted vases and bowls also lend texture, along with napkin rings.

The trick, of course, is mixing what you have—plus personal touches -- to make the table setting your own instead of something you hacked.

Toronto designer Cynthia Ferguson (www.cynthiafergusondesigns.com) always recommends personalizing. "If it's a family gathering, use some vintage pieces," she says. "Tie ribbon to the back of each chair and thread place cards through the ribbon."

Ferguson also suggests integrating collections like salt and pepper shakers, monogrammed napkins or mini nutcrackers. "People are gathering to spend time with you -- and collections speak a little about you," she says. "If you don't have a collection, you might start one by searching on Etsy or going to a local thrift shop. Choose what speaks to you and go from there!"

Some would never think of setting a table without fresh flowers, seasonal or not. Hydrangeas -- white, blue and green -- are a designer go-to because of their shape and volume. And you'll often see Christmas spreads in design magazines populated with bowls brimming with pretty tulips -- well ahead of spring. Others prefer to get creative with natural elements (like pumpkins, gourds, other veggies or greens) or decorative objects (new, vintage and antique) -- and not necessarily confined to the center of the table.

Ferguson is old-school. She always has fresh flowers on her table.

"If the budget is tight, spread the flowers out by using single bud vases, lined down the middle of the table for greater visual impact," says Ferguson.

Ultimately, a pretty, inviting table is only one ingredient in the formula for successful holiday entertaining. The most important secret sauce is what you bring as host, and good eats and a warm welcome always win the day.

Sources

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

-- Ballard Designs, 800-536-7551, www.ballarddesigns.com

-- CB2, 800-606-6252, www.cb2.com

-- Christofle, 800-599-2352, www.christofle.com

-- Crate and Barrel, 800-967-6696, www.crateandbarrel.com

-- Pottery Barn, 888-779-5176, www.potterybarn.com

-- West Elm, 888-922-4119, www.westelm.com

SIDEBAR

Designer Insight

Interior designers often dress the table for clients so that the style is simpatico with the home's decor.

Here are three holiday tabletop ideas from Toronto designer Cynthia Ferguson (www.cynthiafergusondesigns.com), with photos by Natalia Dolan

-- Start with pattern. The impetus for this table was my obsession with the Brunschwig and Fils fabric I used for the tablecloth. Its warm colors remind me of fall. To balance the busy pattern, I used texture and (elements of nature) -- a footed ironstone bowl full of pine cones. I echoed the ironstone in vases from a local thrift store, filling them with fresh flowers (orange lilies, green hydrangeas), layered a collection of turned candlesticks (from Acquisitions, Ltd. antiques in Raleigh, North Carolina), small vintage cranberry glasses and silk velvet pumpkins (from Hot Skwash), which my nieces and nephews love -- I place their nametags on the stems. Dinner plates are vintage, as are the napkins (Scott's Antique Markets in Atlanta); horn flatware is from Saro; wine glasses from Tiffany.

-- Embrace seasonal red. There's nothing more traditional than a table decked out in red for Christmas. I love to layer the decor -- lots of different candle heights, some fairy lights on the mantel (in covered glass urns with moss at the bases), fresh flowers and greens. The gold gilt hurricanes (from Jacaranda Tree and Co.) are a fave, and little potted trees (Michaels Stores) just needed ribbons (red and white stripe) to perk them up. A collection of small nutcracker ornaments add humor and delight for little ones and can be a takeaway gift. I mixed antique Spode plates and vintage napkins with antique silver napkin rings.

-- Keep it simple. During the holidays, we sometimes are overstimulated, overfed and feel a need to keep it simple while entertaining. I love to strip away art, throw the tablecloths into the ironing basket and use a simpler decor. Instead of place mats, I used antique French grain sacks from a flea market. The centerpiece is live green foliage, with birch bark trees from a thrift store. A grouping of prayer candles creates immediate impact and ambiance. I love incorporating ribbon on a table; here, I hung ribbons on the backs of the bistro chairs and threaded a nametag through. The place setting: vintage pressed glass goblets, Majolica green plates and plain white dinner plates -- a perfect balance of old and new. Mini potted trees on the mantel (Michaels) were dressed with black-and-white striped ribbons. Nice touches: Sprigs of rosemary tied on the napkins and small gift boxes wrapped in kraft paper tied with raffia.