Fall lighting trends emerge in consumer search data

As the leaves start to turn and the days grow shorter, consumers’ thoughts tend to turn toward lighting.

So says a new analysis by lighting showroom City Lights SF, which indicates that Americans tend to consider specific types of lighting for their home as the fall progresses, and those decisions are different from those made in the summertime.

City Lights SF analyzed weekly Google Trends data for 10 home lighting search terms across four complete seasons from 2022 through 2025, comparing summer and fall interest.

“Living room lighting typically begins rising around September 27, while kitchen-light searches rise around November 4, suggesting the seasonal shift moves room by room as evenings get darker,” a company spokesperson said.

The analysis revealed that overall home lighting interest averages roughly 29% higher in fall than in summer; “warm lighting” searches specifically rise 55.7% from summer to fall.

“When customers ask for warmer lighting, they’re usually looking for a softer, more comfortable glow rather than simply less light,” said Carolyn Babcock, director of e-comm for City Lights SF, in a web post. “We help them create that feeling by choosing warmer color temperatures and layering light from different sources, so the room still feels bright and functional without feeling harsh.”

Warm light bulbs are among the earliest seasonal signals, rising in early August, City Lights SF said, while porch-light searches begin rising around September 20, as days start getting shorter (To create a standardized national daylight proxy, weekly daylight duration was calculated at the latitude of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 mean center of population, approximately 37.42° N., according to City Lights SF.)

“When evaluating an entrance after dark, homeowners should look beyond brightness and consider where the light is actually landing,” Babcok said in the post. “Good placement should illuminate the door, steps and approach without creating harsh glare. A fixture that’s too bright or positioned at eye level can make visibility worse, so the goal is balanced, comfortable light that helps people see clearly while still making the entrance feel welcoming.”

Interest in living room lighting rises in late September, more than a month before interest in kitchen lighting does (the first week of November). The company’s website includes an informational page that explains what color light is best for a living room, explaining how color temperature influences the feel of a space.

The lighting showroom noted that although the search data should not be interpreted as proof that shorter days caused people to conduct particular searches, correlation shows that two measures tended to move together.