Glowing ideas for outdoor lighting

  • Lindsey M. Roberts Special To The Washington Post
  • Friday, July 18, 2014 11:48am
  • Life

Outdoor lighting is often an afterthought in exterior facelifts and landscape designs, something not remembered until the plants are dug, the deck is built and the house is repainted. If you find yourself in this kind of dark spot, don’t despair: We talked to professionals for simple ideas that will make a big, bright impact.

First, a few basic rules:

Take your home’s architectural style into account. If you have a formal brick Colonial, for example, says David Benton, an architect at Maryland’s Rill Architects, stick with traditional porch pendants and wall sconces. “I think it’s always key to keep things simple,” he says. “They look more elegant that way.” If you have a house that’s a bit more modern, you can play with something contemporary, or even funky or farmhouse style.

Don’t undersize your lights. Do you have a large front yard? Make sure your light fixtures are large enough that they can be seen from the street. Benton says he tends to go “just a little bit larger” than he thinks he’ll need to.

Think about the big picture. Once you’ve got the front lighting set, think about how much total lighting you want to do. “You want to err on the side of subtle,” says Mark Oxley, president of Outdoor Illumination in Bethesda, Maryland. “It’s better to start with less. Then you add to it if you think it’s not enough.”

Here are some suggested lights:

Plow &Hearth’s Old Brooke light: Karen Olson Weaver, who specializes in exterior and landscape lighting as principal lighting designer of Olson Weaver Lighting in Alexandria, Virginia, uses gas lamps in her projects in older neighborhoods. Plow &Hearth’s Old Brooke light, in three colors and sizes, is inspired by early gaslight design but uses a bulb. For sizing, Benton says a good rule of thumb for lights flanking a front door is that they should each be a quarter of the size of the door. If you only have one, it should be a third of the size of the door. ($44.95-$84.95, www. plowhearth.com)

Terrain’s copper Mansard lantern: Put candles in Terrain’s copper Mansard lantern and you’ll get the comfort of flickering light. If you prefer to avoid the mess of fire and wax, try battery-operated LED candles, Olson Weaver suggests. “At some point, things have to be practical,” she says ($68-$98, www.shopterrain.com).

NotNeutral’s Season metal lantern: “When you bring lighting outside, people are drawn to that,” Olson Weaver says. “It’s an inexpensive way to create another space in your house. You could have no chairs on your terrace, and you could put a little lantern out there, and the whole party will move out there.” She likes NotNeutral’s Season metal lantern (in four colors and three sizes) and says it would be a good lantern to hang on shepherd’s crooks around the garden or next to a grill ($54-$162, www. allmodern.com).

Kichler’s cast-brass deck light: Mark Oxley, president of Bethesda outdoor-lighting firm Outdoor Illumination, seconds Olson Weaver’s recommendation to see and touch fixtures in showrooms before ordering. He also recommends buying a brand known for quality and dependability, such as Hadco or Kichler. Kichler’s cast-brass deck light would add sophisticated safety lighting to stairs and decks ($76, www.kichlersuperstore.com).

Kichler’s copper path lights: Path lights are a pragmatic way to create ambiance outdoors. “There are a lot of different styles that can be really functional but also be fun,” Oxley says. “But if you’re doing something fun, you want to be careful because that cute little acorn light can look great one or three times, but if you put 12 of them along a walkway, it can get out of hand.” Kichler’s copper path lights make for a subtle style statement ($184).

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.