The Once-Popular Lighting Choice That's Looking Very Dated (& How To Make It Work)

Picture this: the scene is a trendy (though your parents called it "hipster" with contempt) gastropub that just opened with great farm-to-table food and local IPAs on tap. The year is 2014. You sit on an aluminum stool at a reclaimed wood table with black metal hairpin legs and silverware collected in a Mason jar on top. There's a dim glow above your head, so you look up, and hovering below the all-black exposed ceiling, what do you see?

Well, any millennial (or human being, for that matter) who went to a "hip" restaurant or coffee shop in the 2010s will know the answer to that right away: Edison bulbs. Hanging naked from a solitary black cord or tucked within an open cage fixture, these throwback Victorian bulbs were the "it" way to light a space for the better part of a decade. With a warm appearance similar to candlelight and a cool vintage vibes, Edison bulbs became synonymous with the retro charm of the hipster aesthetic.

But, if you're like me, a millennial in denial that 2014 was over 10 years ago, even as overused as these bulbs became before they were phased out ... they likely hold a soft spot in your heart. After all, they defined our generation as we became adults, opened our own businesses, and began putting our unique stamp on the world. Did we overdo it? Yes. But is there still a way to make the Edison bulb work in our interiors today without screaming, "Hey, do you guys remember Beanie Babies?" Great news, also yes. Here's how to pull it off in a fresh, modern way.

So what exactly is an Edison bulb, and what about them makes them dated in the eyes of many? Characterized by an oblong or globe shape, clear glass, exposed glowing filament, and often featuring a distinctive decorative tip, contemporary Edison bulbs are reproductions of the original carbon-filament bulb that Thomas Edison demonstrated in 1879. However, what I believe makes the concept of an Edison bulb outdated isn't just the bulb itself, but the way in which the bulbs were used and the limitations they had. Gone are the days of bare bulbs on a black strings. No more struggling to read by the light of one dim Edison bulb in a geometric wire cage hung next to your armchair. The incandescent struggles and lack of variety are what sent this once-beloved light source the way of the Cabbage Patch Doll.

The incandescent Edison bulbs of the post-Y2K surge of popularity were a one-trick pony. Their warm yellow light bulb color mimics the soft, flattering glow of candlelight. However, their lumen (or lighting) output was only about 250 to 400 lumens, the equivalent of a 25- to 40-watt bulb. And as you may know from trying to eat a meal by candlelight, it can be very hard to actually see what you are doing with such dim, warm lighting, no matter how atmospheric it is. This made the bulbs limited in actual practicality unless you grouped them, and thus the 2010s trend was born. And this concept was not only overdone, but most people would probably be happy to never see it again in their lifetimes.

So how can you pull off the Edison bulb in your home today in an updated and contemporary way? Let's start with the technological advancements. With the transition from incandescent to LED, a wider variety of lumen outputs and color temperatures can be utilized in the exposed filament style, making them far more practical than their strictly dim incandescent predecessors. In addition, the invention of smart bulbs allows them to go from flattering, dim mood lighting to bright, functional light in one swipe of your phone.

Aesthetically, as the LED market has exploded, you'll find so many modernized takes on the traditional Edison bulb that vary from the standard 2010s incandescent reproductions. From tiny tubular-shaped bulbs with spiraled filaments to globes with more modern linear filaments, the versatility of these new LED decorative filament bulbs has far surpassed the one vintage look Edison bulbs used to have. This is precisely how you can incorporate the vibe of an Edison bulb in a more exciting way.

Nearly every fixture in any design style that has a visible bulb needs one with clear glass, preferably with a decorative filament. If you have to look at it, make it pretty. So whether you have a vintage-inspired fixture that needs an equally retro bulb or a more modern fixture that is calling for a unique shape and filament, grab an updated LED decorative filament bulb to tick all the desirable boxes of the original Edison bulb ... but in a fresh, contemporary way with added functionality to boot. Your millennial heart will thank you.