Exterior Lighting Design Tips

Choosing exterior lighting isn't as simple as you might think! Here are some things to consider:

1. Durability

2. Size

3. Intended location

4. Types - post lights, downlighting, uplighting, sconces, hanging lights, security lights

5. Style and color

Exterior lighting is great way to enhance your property. Not only does outdoor landscape lighting increase your curb appeal but highlighting the unique features of the home’s architecture and shining light on distinct plantings can transform your landscape into a thing of beauty during the night.

First thing to think about with exterior lighting placement are the key areas close to where you'll be moving or operating at night, such as porch lights or garage lighting. Exterior wall lights can be placed next to a porch, in front of a garage, at a side door, or on a rear wall depending on how you access and move around your home. And don't forget to think about which lights should be motion sensors!

Outdoor lighting at night is essential to making sure safety is the top priority. Lighting up walkways, paths, cooking areas, and stairs is a good idea. Also, add lighting to highlight the visual aspects of your home like water features, pools, spas, and planting areas can really add an upgraded element and make them stand out.

We chose downlighting to illuminate the front of our property. Downlighting is a way to emphasize layers and textures on the exterior of a house. It is often used to make your house feel warm and welcoming. We then added sconces and a hanging light for a more layered look and a visually pleasing curb appeal for our home. In the back area we have sconces, coach lights, and a motion sensor flood light. Along the garage we have coach lights and another motion sensor flood light to light up the driveway.

Important point to remember when deciding on exterior outdoor lighting is how that fixture will look lit up at night. In general, you want to try to use multiple outdoor light fixtures together to avoid too much brightness in a single fixture.

For size here are some rules of thumb to follow:

Your lights should be 1/3 to 1/4 the size of your door and trim. If you have a grand entry way with a high ceiling you can go bigger with ⅓ the size of your door. If you're in a tighter area, try ¼ the size of your door. For placement, mount the lights at least 6 inches from the door frame and about 66 inches from the floor.

Hope this helps! Happy light shopping!