The latest look in lighting may be the exposed light bulb, but for most of us this Baroque meets Minimalist effect is a little too, well, revealing. Lighting is both an accessory and a necessity, and while the singular beauty of light is worth celebrating, the fixtures that light bulbs sit in are what add drama and interest to our homes. This is the year for silver and blue; paired on a lamp; these colors promise an instant best seller. A sleek, brushed nickel base topped with a frosted cobalt shade is a fun way to add low-tech punch to high-tech decor. Blue lava lamps provide Retro cool, and silver mesh and punched-out metals keep Art Deco up to the minute and kicking. Antiqued pewter, polished brass, nickel and aluminum are the metals of the moment, turning ordinary fixtures into sculptures with sophistication and charm.

Ebonized woods, alabaster and polycarbonate — an impact-resistant thermoplastic that’s easily molded when hot — are popular materials currently sharing the spotlight. Lampshades are fashioned in everything, including parchment, linen, silk, leather and even thin sheets of translucent wood. Glass shades draw inspiration from Depression glass (tinted glassware machine-produced during the 1930s), as well as Tiffany style stained glass. Hand-blown forms bring sinuous shapes onto the scene, while color-treated glass transforms lampshades into artwork.

Illuminated occasional tables are blurring the lines between table and lamp, and foot-operated switches are giving new meaning to “fumbling for the light.” Manufacturers catching onto the popularity of hardware store clamp-lights are adding clamp options to even the priciest fixtures. Protruding 3D squiggles, dots and ripples add humor, and shapes inspired by the human form are turning on lights large and small. Curvaceous, ladylike lamps are strutting their stuff, complete with teardrop pulls for a well-coifed look. Nature is illuminated in fixtures of bamboo and stone, while painterly lampshades depicting grasses and Chinese characters calm even the harshest decors. Rectangular block pedestal table lamps have returned from the 1930s and are especially nice with a white or natural linen lampshade. Frank Lloyd Wright inspirations include geometric motifs and the delicate-but-sturdy joinery typical of his work. A return to natural materials used in simple, utilitarian designs recalls the Arts and Crafts movement and Mission ideals.

Permanent fixtures, such as sconces, pendants and track lighting, are either hold-nothing-back whimsical or whisper-soft elegant. The opaque glow of sandblasted glass cooled with metal accents is a popular wall-fixture look. Cable tracks have returned from Victorian times and track lighting fixtures are available in every color from apricot to light blue. Slim rails that can be hand-bent into loops turn dark ceilings into brilliant light shows, and fiber optics use pinpoints of light to create cosmic star fields on ceilings both inside and out. The latest buzz is silencing fluorescents: New designs are compact, flicker-proof and have an impressive 10,000-hour life span.

Whether dressed up, barely there or completely exposed, good lighting design today is always energy-efficient. Increased variety and lower costs have closed the gap between available styles and current trends, making lighting fixtures one of the most effective and dramatic ways to accessorize a room. When choosing lighting, always have a master plan and layer ambient, task, information and decorative light.

The Four Types of Light

Ambient lighting — also known a general or background lighting — is the light we see by. It’s the direct substitute or supplement for natural light and is supplied by table lamps and torchbearers that reflect light off the ceiling or wall sconces that wash the wall with light.

Task lighting is for a specific activity or purpose and is usually directional and local. For example, a reading lamp angled over a desk or a downlight over the kitchen sink are both sources of task lighting.

Information lighting enables us to find our way in the dark. Sources include path lights along a walkway, an illuminated doorbell and the light inside the refrigerator.

Decorative lighting — also called accent lighting — is discreet, low-level light used to call attention to artwork, sculptures and architectural details. A recessed ceiling light used to spotlight a painting and small lights in display cabinets are examples of decorative lighting.