The Decor Group, Inc. Announces the Top 5 Outdoor Lighting Trends for 2021

The Decor Group, Inc., an international leader in holiday decorating with its brand Christmas Decor and landscape lighting with its brand NiteTime Decor, has more than 300 franchised locations across the U.S., and has its finger on the pulse of new trends in outdoor lighting. With people spending more time in their homes and money on their homes than ever before, along with restaurants and public areas starting to open back up, the brand has compiled it’s list of the hottest outdoor lighting trends to look for in 2021.

“We’re riding a wave of people investing in their homes, and as COVID-19 restrictions loosen up, we’re also seeing a lot of lighting for outdoor patios and seating areas at restaurants,” Brandon Stephens, the company’s president said. 

So for homeowners or business owners looking for ways to enhance their outdoor spaces, Stephens has created a list of the top industry trends to look out for. 

Low-Voltage Architectural Lights Are In

Forget cheap holiday string lights that break after a single season and spend more time knotted up in a box than spreading cheer — new high-tech lights are jumping in to replace the ineffective old standard. Among these are low-voltage architectural lights, which are RGB programmable lighting strips that can slot into the design of an outdoor space more permanently. Instead of merely pointing a light or hanging a string over some attractive outdoor feature, Stephens says he’s seeing requests to get a panel of lights installed just at the roof line or into flooring for a sleek, modern look.

“We offer low voltage architectural lighting services because everyone wants more out of their outdoor spaces,” said Stephens. “If you invest in an outdoor kitchen or sitting area and if it's not lit, you're just sitting in the dark. We’re able to go into a back yard or front yard sitting area and do a well-designed landscape lighting job to make it a nicer environment and extend the utility of that area for a longer time.”

Lights Aren’t Just For Holidays

During the pandemic, Christmas Decor saw a sharp increase in requests for lighting off-season. According to Stephens, these days, people are looking for a pick-me-up long before and long after the holidays are here and gone. Using the new trend of outdoor RGB strip lighting, Stephens says he has the lighting solution for any occasion. These new lights are there when you need them and are almost invisible when you don’t. The result is a fully modular lighting system that can bring attention to any location and any event. 

“We’re in the individually addressable RGB technology world, and we have a product where I can come out to your home or business and put a track on the roof line and put lights in the track and different color covers,” said Stephens. “It’s going to closely match the painted edge of the home’s roof line, so you can't tell they’re there during the day, but at night, I can turn on the lights and make them any color, any pattern. For St. Patrick’s Day, I can make them all green. For the fourth of July, they can be red, white and blue. For the local high school basketball team, I can use the team colors.”

For businesses and even municipalities, these lighting products can turn any event into one to celebrate — and one to court new business opportunities as well. 

“We’ve seen cities using it for economic development,” said Stephens. “If a town has a John Deere factory moving in, they can turn the lights John Deere green.”

Colors and App Controls Are In

The new addressable RGB lights provide a splash of color when needed and can be turned on and off with the press of a button on an app. Christmas Decor can offer clients the ability to control their image down to the individual light bulb. 

For smart decorators, this new tech has already opened up an exciting realm of possibilities.

“We have bulbs that are individually controllable through an app and you can make those turn colors,” said Stephens. “People are starting to incorporate color into their landscape lighting jobs. Someone may have a beautifully lit backyard with lights around the perimeter of a fence that’s covered in ivy. They might have a tree right in the middle and they’ll blast that with color to make it a focal point.”

Even home decorators have caught on to how nice these programmable lights are. 

“When my daughter graduated from high school, before she left, we had friends over and I’d make our patio lights her high school colors,” said Stephens. “They loved that. It’s a unique party trick on top of lighting.” 

Traditional Holiday Looks Are In

New technology has brought with it the availability of color wherever a designer needs it, but the pandemic has renewed people’s interest in traditional, wholesome looks according to Stephens. 

“This Christmas, we saw an explosion in traditional looks,” said Stephens. “New clients came in and just wanted a cool traditional look with warm white lights, white lights in a garland and a round column or a 40 inch pre-lit wreath right in the center of the door.”

With the pandemic a constant stressor, Stephens said he’s glad he was able to provide a welcoming, traditional look for people’s homes. 

Permanent Lighting Is In

Every January, the trash collector picks up piles of discarded Christmas trees, but now more than ever, the lights are staying put. According to Stephens, his industry is on the brink of a shift from seasonal to year-round. 

“Permanent lighting is big now,” said Stephens. “We have products rated for continuous outdoor use, and with people spending more time at home, we’ve seen an explosion in requests off-season and year-round.” 

About The Decor Group

The Decor Group launched in 1996 out of Lubbock, Texas and has grown to international success in the Holiday Decorating and Landscape Lighting space. The Decor Group is composed of four uniquely positioned entities including Christmas Decor Inc., NiteTime Decor, Barcana, and PermaLites365. The Decor Group, along with its national network of franchised service providers, is dedicated to providing premium quality products and committed to constant and never ending improvement in everything they do every day. Visit www.thedecorgroup.com for more information.