Choosing Timeless Exterior Lighting (A Designer Guide)

I hope you had a great weekend! The weather here was so amazing, and I&#;ve been in outdoor project mode&#; power washing, pulling out our patio furniture, readying the garden, and getting our exterior and outdoor living to-do list in order. One priority I have for this season is to clean and update some of our exterior lighting. Click through for my top timeless exterior light fixture picks (sconces, lanterns, pendants, and landscaping lighting)&#; as well as for my best selection tips! Click through for my designer guide&#;

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If you&#;re interested in touring all of my outdoor living spaces, be sure to click the link for the complete tour. We&#;re still pulling things out for the season ahead, but they&#;ll look the same as last year once I&#;m all finished. Ready to chat outdoor lighting?

Exterior Lighting Selection Tips

I felt like a check list or comprehensive questions to ponder was the best way to convey which light fixtures will work best for your exterior space&#;

• First, is the fixture wet or damp rated? Wet means it can be exposed to any element (rain, snow, etc). Damp rated means it can exist outside in a protected area (like a covered porch). Dry rated fixtures are not a suitable choice for outdoor spaces.
• Is the light fixture decorative, functional, or both? In other words, how bright do you need the light to be? Is it simply to add a warm glow, or does it need to illuminate a walkway?
• Are there are other light fixtures within the vignette? For example, perhaps a covered porch contains sconces on each side of the entry door, as well as a pendant hanging from the portico&#; while different types of fixtures, they should feel cohesive or complementary.
• Does your exterior lighting plan feel layered? Just like an interior lighting plan, the objective is to mix & match different fixture types (sconces, pendants, lanterns, post lights, landscaping lights, etc) for a well-rounded and well-designed exterior. Check out this post on tips for layering lighting like a designer!
• Is the finish or color suitable for your home? Not only should the fixture finish be durable, but it should have enough contrast with your home exterior. I prefer black or bronze exterior lights because they look good against my brick home, as well as against my white painted brick, and white storage shed. Contrast is key!
• Is the fixture scale appropriate? Just like accounting for furniture size when creating a floor plan, the light fixture should be sized for the vignette in which it exists. Here&#;s an example: if your front door is oversized (like my double french doors), the vignette will require sconces or porch lights that are larger or oversized to feel balanced. Check out this post on tips for getting scale right!

My Top Picks

The following options vary in size, price, and aesthetic&#; but all are classic picks that won&#;t go out of style. Black and bronze look best with my home and aesthetic, so for the sake of simplicity- that&#;s what I selected for these collages&#; but the majority of these fixtures come in multiple finishes, so be sure to click through to find the finish most appropriate for your own home!

Click directly on each light fixture below to be redirected.

Exterior Sconces

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These are ideal for porch lights, flanking garage doors, alongside entry doors, on exterior buildings- like a shed or pool house, and are optimal for patios.

Exterior Lanterns

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Lanterns are charming for any aesthetic! You could also install these as porch lights, flanking garage doors, alongside an entry door, on any exterior billing, shed, or pool house.

Exterior Pendants

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Where might you install a pendant outside? Beneath a covered porch, patio, portico, balcony, pergola, or any type of exterior structural overhang. Does anyone remember my carport makeover?

Landscape Lighting

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Landscape lighting is something we&#;ve yet to tackle at our house, but it&#;s high on our priority list this spring & summer. These intentionally placed lights are perfect for illuminating walkways, highlighting architectural elements, and light washing general outdoor areas.

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FAQ

Would you mind sharing the link for your front porch lanterns?

Of course! You can find my front porch lanterns here. They&#;re an amazing budget-friendly option with a great sense of scale. Highly recommend!

Can you install any light fixture outside?

No- they need to be specific to exterior installation, or wet-rated. Outdoor lights are weather resistant and more durable than interior fixtures. Sometimes you can get away with certain indoor rated fixtures in a very protected area, but it&#;s always best to search for exterior rated (damp and wet) fixtures for that specific application.

Can you link the solar sconces from your shed? And do you still like them?

They&#;re still working perfectly, and I love them! We don&#;t even have the solar panels attached to the roof of the shed&#; they&#;re simply sitting inside the window and they illuminate as soon as it darkens. These solar sconces are under $100 and are another great budget find!

Related

Looking for more exterior, curb appeal, or lighting related posts? I&#;ll link some helpful ones for you below&#;

I hope you liked this one! Feel free to leave any lighting (interior or exterior) questions you may have for me below. I&#;m always happy to help! Lighting is one of those things that drastically improves the look of a vignette. It&#;s an easy way to make a statement, change the overall aesthetic, or improve functionality. What&#;s on your outdoor project list this spring and summer? Be sure to check back on Wednesday for my big Basement Media Room reveal!

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One of the best ways to elevate your home&#;s exterior is by installing landscape lighting. There are some major things to keep in mind as you create the perfect lighting design for your home. Here are five factors to consider when shopping for landscape lighting.

Purpose

The first thing to consider when choosing landscape lighting is purpose. Ask yourself about the major function or purpose of the lights. Perhaps you want to install lighting to enhance your overall landscape and highlight specific features within your garden and home&#;s architecture. On the other hand, you might want the lighting to boost your home&#;s security and protection. Determine the main function of these lights so you can choose the appropriate lighting system to serve that purpose.

Style

Style is the next thing you&#;ll want to look at when selecting landscape lights. There are countless styles of landscape lighting to choose from. For example, spotlights, garden lights, step lights, bollard lights, string lights, pathway lights, and flood lights are all popular options. You&#;ll want to select lights that support the purpose of your landscape lighting while fitting your home&#;s overall design.

Wattage

You&#;ll also want to think about wattage when shopping for residential exterior lighting. Wattage is the amount of energy it takes a bulb to produce light. The higher a bulb&#;s wattage, the brighter the light. Keep in mind that high wattage uses more energy. Utilize lower-wattage or LED bulbs for an energy-efficient lighting system. The average wattage for outdoor lighting is 40-80 watts.

Technology

Technology is another factor to remember when looking for landscaping lights. Many outdoor lighting systems boast cutting-edge technology. For example, many systems are app-controlled, color-changing, and have smart timers. These features make your landscape lighting more effective and efficient and give you personalized control over your lighting system.

Durability

Finally, consider the durability of the landscape lighting. Because your landscape lights are outside, you&#;ll need to look for fixtures that can withstand environmental elements like rain, wind, snow, and ice. You want durable and strong lights that will stay in good condition for a long time. High-quality LED bulbs with metal fixtures are the most durable options for landscape lighting.Now that you know what to consider when choosing landscape lighting, you can make the best choice for your home. Astoria Lighting Co. is a trustworthy outdoor lighting company that can take care of all your landscape lighting needs.

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