With so many kinds of outdoor light fixtures available today, it’s not always easy to choose the right one for your home. Asking a few questions can help you narrow down your options quickly.
When you are selecting an outdoor light fixture, keep these four questions in mind:
1. What style do I want?
Is your home’s architecture stately and elegant? Angular and contemporary? Craftsman? Spanish? If you are not sure what style your home is or what style you like, that’s OK.
These are some common outdoor lighting styles:
Traditional outdoor lights often have ornate designs with elegant decorative touches like curving hooks and flourishes. You will also find traditional outdoor lights with styles inspired by classic decor eras, like Craftsman.
Transitional outdoor lights do share some design touches with traditional lights, but they are not as ornate. This makes them very versatile for a wide variety of homes.
Contemporary outdoor lights have a streamlined and minimal style, often with geometric touches. Innovative designs made possible by LED lights are common too.
Farmhouse outdoor lights bring traditional and vintage style touches together to create a lighting look perfect for adding that popular country flair, no matter where you live.
2. How much light am I looking for?
The single most important factor when choosing an outdoor light fixture is how it looks when it is illuminated, especially at night. In general, it’s good to use multiple outdoor light fixtures for better brightness.
For example: Outdoor wall lights at the front door, side door and garage door, plus an outdoor ceiling light on your covered porch. Maybe even some post lights to highlight the walkway to the door, too!
While many outdoor lights use clear glass, you can also get a different look with textures, such as water glass or seeded glass.
3. How do I pick the right size?
Choose wall-mounted outdoor lights based on the height of the door or surface they will illuminate.
If you plan to use just one lantern, look for a wall light that is one-third (1/3) the height of the door. But if you are using two lanterns, choose ones that are a quarter (1/4) of the height of the door.
Mount the lanterns slightly above eye level. The center of the bulbs should be 66 inches above the threshold. Proper sizing is critical so you can maintain clearance between the top of the fixture and your ceiling.
Hanging outdoor ceiling lights should descend 12 to 20 inches from an 8-foot ceiling. Add 3 inches for every additional foot of ceiling. Allow at least 1 foot of clearance below the fixture.
For post lights, go as big as you would like since perspective means the lights will look small from far away, where they are often viewed.
4. Is the light durable enough?
If you’re using an outdoor wall light or post light, make sure it’s wet area rated for direct exposure to rain and the elements.
If you’re using a hanging light under a covered area such as a porch or roof overhang, it can be damp area rated, which means it should not be directly exposed to rain.
If you have any questions about outdoor lighting, please reach out to us by phone, email or social media!
