Top Lighting tends for pubs Posted on 20 Oct 00:00

Often associated as the 'focal point' of a village, the history of the great British Pub aka the ‘public house’ can be traced back to the roman taverns from 43AD! These alehouses, taverns and inns provided the local community with food, drink, shelter whilst the inn provided accommodation. During King Henry V11 reign, the alehouses were declared as public houses and then as pubs.

 

Vintage engraving of a man having a meal and tankard of beer in a Victorian pub, England. The graphic, 1887.

Fast forward to present time, pubs are everywhere; you can find several pubs within the same village. Certainly where I live there are 6 pubs within a very small, close-knit village.

Back to lighting - there are a few lighting themes emerging from the current pub scene which range from an edgy industrial look to a more traditional theme.

 

1. Rocking the retro industrial vibes

Will retro ever go out of style? This is certainly not the case as the industrial look is very much on trend. Pubs which incorporate old style, vintage, lighting are traditionally ‘sticking to their roots’ of the old traditional English pub and the nostalgia that goes with it.

Many pubs are lit e.g. filament light bulbs with incandescent light bulbs, which are not only energy draining, they are prone to failures, meaning that in the long run, they are more expensive to run. But, there is a solution, introduce the ‘light bulb moment’ brought to pubs and other hospitality alike sectors by Bright Goods – filament LED light bulbs designed to look just like the traditional filament light bulbs which were common place in pubs in the late 18th to 19th Centuries. Offering dimmability capabilities, 30,000 hour life spans and using 10x less energy than filament bulbs, our Bright Goods LED filament light bulbs are perfect - what is there not to like about them?

 With more and more pubs switching to filament LED bulbs, it’s no wonder why they are popular amongst the industrial scene. Pubs rocking the retro industrial style incorporate quirky lamp pendants and cages like below.

It is also very popular to hang light bulbs bare – emphasising the beauty of the bulbs shape and glow. 

2. Embracing the warmth with tones of amber and wood

The first words I think of when ‘pub’ comes to mind is the cosiness – not only with good company and drinks but from the overall furnishings that add to that cosy and warm pub setting.

The majority of pubs offer warm, mood lighting to compliment the interior. Many pubs throughout the country are hundreds of years old and to keep up with the tradition of rustic style lighting that embraces the warmth of the amber coloured shades and light bulbs with wood accents are ideal for emphasising the overall appearance of pubs.

E2 Designer lighting sports this trend – their beautiful amber glass shades emphasise that warm cosiness most associated with pubs. The shade also offers a contrast to the rustic interior and the wooden fixture that holds the antique style shades in place.

But it doesn’t stop here, from wall lights to ceiling shade pendants – decorating a pub has never been easier! Matching the wall lights with amber ceiling pendants which are perfect for positioning throughout the bar and pub and maintaining that cosy, warm atmosphere.

3. The move to modern lighting

Moving away from the industrial and rustic trends, a trend that has been emerging amongst newer pubs is modern lighting. Lighting these pub spaces involves spotlights and candle bulbs housed in clear glass shades. And they are inexpensive to the vintage industrial –inspired light pieces previously discussed. Modern lighting gives a different feel to the pub – the pub looks less rustic! In my personal opinion, the atmosphere that we all associate and love with pubs is lost as there isn’t a warm, familiar glow but instead a more pristine, immaculate looking pub. And if you’re not careful, some modern pubs can get the lighting wrong – so if you decide to go for this modern lighting trend, I recommend choosing LED spotlights and candles with warm colour temperatures to retain that warm glow. There are few pubs that have daylight colour temperature lights installed which makes the pub look very clinical!

Unusual, modern shaped glass shades are ideal to placed around the bar area and they really do give presence to the pub. This pub has incorporated these shades with spotlights very well- the spotlights are positioned shining down onto the wine bottles whilst the pendants give light to the customers around the bar.

What pub lighting do you use or like the best - let us know by joining in on the conversation on Twitter #lightmytuesday.