As mentioned in our last post, track lighting has come a long way in its evolution from the rigid, clunky-looking design that achieved popularity in the 1980s, giving it a resurgence in popularity and making it one of the up and coming trends for 2010. Here is a more in-depth look at what to expect from today’s track lighting.

The track lighting family has expanded to include three categories: fixed rail lighting, free-form rail lighting, and cable lighting.

• Fixed Rail Lighting is the least flexible, but it’s also the most budget-friendly choice, making it the most widely-used form of track lighting in today’s homes. As the name implies, it consists of a single rail with a fixed number of light fixtures at manufacturer-selected intervals. The light fixtures usually swivel and can be angled at any direction. They can be mounted on walls or ceilings, and joined together to accommodate long spaces. The rails range from straight and utilitarian to artfully curved with decorative details. Low-voltage versions have a transformer at one end of the track that delivers power to the light fixtures, allowing for relatively easy DIY installation.

• Free-Form Rail Lighting has all of the features of its fixed rail cousin while offering more flexibility. Light fixture types can be varied, switched out and repositioned along the track. Spotlights and decorative pendant lamps can be combined along the same track to increase functionality. Also, both free-form and fixed rails can be suspended from high ceilings, allowing the spotlights to swivel upward for an uplighting effect, and decorative railing to form a floating sculpture, standing out and making its own statement instead of blending in.

• Cable Lighting is the most recent addition to the track lighting family. It’s also the most advanced, as well as the most green, using only 12 volts of energy. Bare wire cables form a twin rail for lights to move along, creating a contemporary minimalist look. The cables are extremely flexible and can take almost any shape the homeowner can imagine. For even more functionality and panache, remote control options are available.

Both rails and fixtures come in traditional, transitional and contemporary styles, meaning that there is a track lighting option to fit almost any style or budget. So don’t be afraid to hop on this growing trend and consider track lighting for your home lighting scheme.