People are always interested in trends. What's next around the bend? What's fresh, what's in, what's out? But designers know that trends come and go (and come back around again if you wait long enough), while certain principles ring eternal. People know taste when they see it. 

MyDomaine ran an article a few months ago, interviewing some interior designers about what trends they were hoping to see go out with the end of 2017, what trends they were expecting to take off in 2018, and what advice they had for homeowners looking to spruce up their space. The piece focused on what's out and what's in, while also focusing on the constants—what never goes out of style. 

Dark kitchens got a shout from Claire Staszak of Centered by Design, and black finishes—especially on light fixtures—were also touted by Doriane Passman of Thea Home as things we'll be seeing more of in the coming months. We've covered the former and we've got you covered for the latter. Read our post about dark kitchens here and scroll to the end of the post to check out some gorgeous fixtures with black finishes.

Design by Jon de la Cruz | Photo by Jonny Valiant | House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year 2017

The piece from MyDomaine had two designers wishing for an end to the Industrial comeback, with one singling out reclaimed wood and another pointing out "faux industrial" was due to get a move on. (What's the opposite of a comeback? A "go-away?") 

The allure of Machine Age luminaires and vintage items from the epoch is evergreen. As the MyDomaine article acknowledges, Industrial is not going anywhere. It's entered the pantheon of design styles to be mixed in with verve and aplomb by the skilled designer and the confident homeowner. 

Faux industrial, on the other hand, has become a rather cluttered sector in the marketplace, with many careless reproductions, and—we agree—can be a bit overdone. (For those who may not know, "faux" merely means "fake" in French. It's used to refer to things in décor without making them sound less worthy than non-faux versions. See, for example, faux bois: "fake wood." Ah, what a little French can do!) As Athena Calderone of eyeswoon notes elsewhere in the article, "Too much of one particular look diminishes its impact and feels one-noted." Thea Home similarly chimes in that an overkill of one style "makes the space feel a bit contrived and less organic. Touches here and there are great.

Why bring this up? We make a lot of pieces that use materials and finishes and shapes that evoke Industrial associations. We also design and make a lot of other fixtures, which smoothly fit into a variety of spaces and contemporary places. Increasingly, it's this direction we're moving in. Troy is not a company dedicated to one look at the exclusion of all others, but neither is it a dabbler.  If you love the Industrial look and want to use it as one layer or element in your overall design, we make some of the finest and most innovative fixtures in that style available. If you agree that this look has overstayed its welcome, there's a lot more to Troy. 

Far from recreating classics from the first few decades of the twentieth century, we reimagine them, providing unexpected contexts and contrasts riffing on materials and motifs of the period. 

The article was filled with great advice from great designers with great taste, but the clincher came from visionary creative Leanne Ford:

"Personalize it. My number one rule about decorating for others is this: The client is first. Ignore the trends. What's in, what's out, what's on the way in, what's on the way out, it's all irrelevant. What matters first and foremost is what the client wants, needs, have, loves, feels good in, feels attached to. Work with that first, and the actual space is second. Listen to your client, then listen to your house. It will tell you what it needs to feel good, and it's usually texture, white paint, some personal treasures, and incredible lighting." 

Designers like Leanne know that one of the things worth allocating a large share of the budget to is the lighting. It's a wise investment. Great lighting pieces are unlikely to go out of style, are an essential part of the room, can do much to establish a particular style for the space they inhabit, and will last a long time. 

A designer might be thinking about how your home will look 7-10 years from now. Trends may help bring options and possibilities to the table. Beautiful and essential objects that form the character of a room and are made to endure in substance and style will always be one of the most important decisions. 

There's trends...and then there's Troy. Designed to impress. Built to last. Sophisticated, yet casual. 

Here are some incredible lighting pieces that are not "faux industrial" and have black finishes and/or a great sense of layering and texture.