The Best Guide on How to Choose Outdoor Lighting for Your Home

Understanding Outdoor Lighting

If you’ve seen a well-designed home at night, you know it doesn’t look good by accident. Carefully chosen outdoor lighting fixtures and well-thought-out design make a huge difference. In this article, we’ll walk you through outdoor lighting options so you can enhance your home’s curb appeal and ensure you and your guests stay safe on your walkways.

What’s Outdoor Lighting?

This question seems simple, but there is actually a lot to consider when thinking about outdoor lighting. It includes various light fixtures that enhance exterior home security and safety. These fixtures also highlight landscaping and architecture at night and come in different styles and finishes, from security lighting to porch lights. That’s why choosing the right outdoor lighting for your home’s exterior is essential.

Benefits of Outdoor Lighting

Sense of Security

At its most basic, outdoor lighting is important to safety and security. Extra lights around a property line and near windows and entryways can deter animals and potential criminals. Illuminating your front door, porch, and driveway can make it easier for security cameras to record and provide warning of potential threats. Proper lighting can also make it more difficult for intruders to hide and escape. We recommend options such as deck lighting and direct light in dark outdoor spaces, as well as motion-sensitive lights to enhance security.

Added Property Value

There’s another important reason to consider the curb appeal of your property when planning your outdoor lighting system. A well-designed outdoor lighting system can also increase your property value. You’ve probably seen homes with the jellyfish effect: Where there are so many Soffit lights (ceiling lights just under the roof’s overhang) that the roof seems to be hovering over the rest of the house. Avoiding pitfalls like that makes your home more appealing. Potential buyers will be willing to pay more when your home has curb appeal. Proper lighting can highlight the features of your landscape and architecture. This creates a warm welcome for guests. Outdoor lighting can also make your yard, patio, or deck look maintained and orderly, day and night.

Planning Your Outdoor Lighting

Plan Around Your Lifestyle

Plan your outdoor lighting system to fit your lifestyle and needs. Do you like to throw parties and other events outside on your deck or patio? Do you have specific landscaping or architectural features you want to highlight? When planning your lighting system, consider the size and layout of your yard to ensure you meet these needs.

To minimize maintenance and ensure security, choose energy-efficient and durable lights. It might also be worth considering hiring a professional to design and install your outdoor lighting system. They have years of experience with different homes

Choosing the Right Lighting Fixtures

Types of Lighting Fixtures

When selecting lighting fixtures, consider the style and aesthetic of your home and outdoor living space. Find fixtures that add to the style and create a cohesive look. Exterior lighting fixtures include sconces, lanterns, and pendants. Once you choose a fixture, you can often choose from different outdoor light bulbs, which allow you to easily adjust color and light temperature.

Think about the lighting’s purpose, such as illuminating walkways, highlighting architectural elements, or creating ambiance. Choose different types of light fixtures to prevent the jellyfish effect and enhance every important feature and walkway. For example, a hanging pendant light and matching door hardware are great ways to highlight your porch area, while you may choose floodlights above your patio area. Make sure to choose fixture types that match your porch centerpiece and keep the style consistent.

Look for fixtures that are specifically designed for exterior use and are weather-resistant. High-maintenance fixtures are not only frustrating but can also be unsafe. Tasks like replacing light bulbs or fixing electrical wiring are easy to put off because you forget about them during the day. Installing low-maintenance fixtures will prevent issues in the future.

Lighting Fixtures for Specific Areas

Postlights can add safety and security to your property. Consider installing post lights to mark the edge of driveways or walking paths. These provide security and accent lighting.

Security and flood lights should be reliable and durable in different weather conditions. They are key to ensuring your walkways, driveway, porch, and patio have sufficient light to provide safety in all weather conditions. Make sure the area from your garage doors to your porch is always well-lit.

Landscape lighting is a great way to illuminate walkways, highlight architectural elements, and create a sense of ambiance. This ambient light can also provide a warm glow that makes your home feel welcoming.

Design Considerations

Style and Architecture

• Exterior lighting should complement the architectural style of your home. Avoid using fixtures that are out of place with your home’s style.
• Different architectural styles call for different types of exterior lighting fixtures. Make sure you know which fixture types, bulbs, and finishes will complement your home.
• When selecting exterior lights, consider your home’s lines and shapes. Choose a combination of fixtures that highlights your favorite features and prevents dark corners.

Scale and Placement

• Exterior light fixtures should be proportional to the size of your home and entryway.
• Avoid too small lights that don’t add to the look of your home.
• Hang wall fixtures at a comfortable height and space them evenly.
• Consider light placement and angle in relation to your home and entryway. Prevent dark shadows and corners by setting this up consciencely.

Technical Considerations

Power and Performance

We’ve talked a lot about fixture style based on design and style. However, choosing exterior fixtures that fit your home’s wiring is also important. Fixtures should be energy efficient as well. Some outdoor lighting options include hard-wired flood lights, plug-in dusk-to-dawn lights, and solar motion lights. How should you pick between these?

Solar-powered outdoor lighting uses sunlight to operate and can save on energy bills. If you can find solar-powered lighting that matches the style of your home, this is a great option!

The most common type of exterior fixture is hard-wired lights. These lights connect directly to your home’s electrical wiring and require additional safety measures. Unless you have extensive experience, hire an electrician to install them.

Plug-in lights are simple to install. However, they must be positioned near a power outlet or extension cord, so ensure you have the correct setup before purchasing.

Outdoor Light Bulb Options

Once you choose the perfect fixtures for your home and wiring, it’s time to choose the right bulbs. This is a lower-pressure choice, because these are usually easy to replace. We typically recommend LED bulbs because of their energy efficiency and long lifespan. LED bulbs also come in different colors and can be used with a dimmer, giving you lots of options. CFL and halogen bulbs are other common options, but they can get hot and contain hazardous materials. Incandescent bulbs can also be used outside if protected from the elements. You may be less familiar with HID (High-Intensity discharge) bulbs, but they are a newer option. Because of their brightness, HID bulbs are used for larger spaces.

Final Tips

Maximizing Curb Appeal

Upgrading your exterior lighting fixtures is a relatively simple way to improve your curb appeal and refine the look of your house. Choose exterior lights with care to get the style, scale, and placement right. Consider the lines and shapes of your home when selecting and installing new lights. The fixture, angle, and bulb type will all play a role. Pay special attention to the placement and scale of exterior lights in relation to your entryway. This is the focal point of your home’s exterior, so getting that fixture right will go a long way to the overall design.

Lastly, minimize light pollution by using Dark Sky and Good Neighbor-certified lighting fixtures. We recommend installing dusk-to-dawn fixtures or using timers to minimize light pollution and save on your electric bill.