Outdoor Sconce Lighting Enhances Your Home’s Exterior

Whether you’re looking to brighten your front door, a favorite garden spot or the side of your home, outdoor sconce lighting is a stylish choice. These versatile fixtures come in a variety of silhouettes and finishes to suit every exterior design.

Lantern sconces complement colonial, cottage and French country designs, LED Lighting manufacturer while contemporary flush-mount sconces are great for modern homes. Path lights illuminate a walkway or driveway, while pendants hang gracefully over outdoor seating areas.

Flush-Mount Sconces

Sconces are a popular type of porch light, installed on the wall to highlight your front door or other areas of your entryway. They offer an artistic flair while being functional and can easily add a traditional or rustic look to your home’s exterior. This style of fixture works well on covered porches or in the entryway area and is UL approved for wet locations like your front steps or sidewalk. Look for fixtures with LED lighting as it offers the best longevity and efficiency. The Kichler Barrie is a beautiful example of this style, available in tannery bronze and black to complement many traditional and rustic home designs.

Ceiling-mounted sconces are also perfect for front porches, as they help enhance curb appeal and provide ample illumination that keeps guests safe as they make their way up the walkway to your door. They can be used in back patios too, illuminating outdoor seating or dining spaces. You can find flush mounts in a wide variety of styles, finishes and materials, from cast aluminum to solid brass and wrought iron.

Choose a flush-mount that matches your existing wall sconces and other outdoor fixtures for a consistent look. Most fixtures will list a wattage requirement, so be sure to select bulbs with the same rating as recommended. A lower wattage will provide less illumination, while using a higher wattage could damage your fixture.

Spotlight Sconces

Spotlight sconces elevate the beauty of your home’s architecture and design with their narrow beams of light. They highlight a single feature for safety, wayfinding or aesthetic purposes and can be found in a wide variety of silhouettes, finishes and shades. Choose a pair of sconces with similar hues to your home’s paint color to create a cohesive, understated look, or opt for contrasting colors that stand out. For example, a brass fixture casts your front door in a golden glow while black sconces provide contrast that helps it pop against a white exterior.

Landscape spot lights also make for effective uplighting, highlighting the underside of taller structures or trees to create drama in a space. You can also use these fixtures to illuminate a garden statue, piece of artwork or fountain. To ensure the best performance, select a spot light with an adjustable field of view to find the perfect angle.

Many homeowners install outdoor sconce lighting flanking their entryway to brighten up the doorway and welcome guests with a welcoming, warm feel. This type of sconce lighting looks great flanking a patio or staircase as well, giving the space a clean and elegant appearance.

Dark sky-compliant modern outdoor sconce lighting is another option for your property, helping you keep your home and yard safe after sunset. These fixtures help reduce light pollution, annoying glare and energy consumption. This type of sconce is especially useful near wildlife habitats like turtle nesting areas or rustic areas as it can cut down on disturbing animals’ natural habits.

Wall Sconces

A sconce light is a stylish way to highlight a piece of wall art, illuminate a vanity mirror or frame a doorway. They are also reliable sources of secondary lighting in areas where a ceiling fixture or flush mount might not be possible. There are many types of sconce lights available to suit any interior design theme, from traditional sconces that look like free-standing floor lamps to sleek, modern styles.

Depending on the type of sconce you choose, it may require hardwiring. For fixtures that have a built-in switch, you will need to cut an opening in the wall for an old-work electrical box just as you would when adding a new flush or pendant fixture. Then you will need to run the circuit wiring from a nearby receptacle box to the box where the sconce is being installed.

Plug-in sconces can be mounted in locations where hardwiring is not feasible or desired, such as above a fireplace mantel or next to a bed. You will need to add a receptacle box to the room to power these sconces, and they will need to be located close enough to an outlet for easy access. Many sconces feature additional technologies that make them easier to use, such as remote controls and motion sensors. Using these features will enhance the convenience of this type of lighting and can help you reduce energy costs.

Pendants

A pendant is an ornament suspended from a piece of jewelry like an earring or necklace. These can be decorative, but more often they are utilitarian and meant to resemble a tool or talisman. Examples include maori pounamu pendants, scissors, pocket knives, monocles, yarn cutters and compass pendants. Some talismans or wall lights for home amulets were also worn as pendants to amplify their powers and protect against disease.

Outdoor pendant lighting looks great flanking a doorway and helps make your home safe and inviting to visitors. Look for dark sky-compliant models to help cut down on light pollution and annoying glare. Pendants also work well in patio areas and covered decks where larger fixtures like hanging lights can’t be used.

When shopping for pendants that will be used outdoors, be sure to review sizing dimensions and design features like color, shape and finish. It is also important to verify that the fixture has a wet or damp rating. Wet rated fixtures are safe for use in damp locations, while dry rated fixtures are only intended for indoor use. Be sure to pair these fixtures with a UL-listed LED or bulb to ensure optimal performance and safety. Shop at Brilliant Outdoors for the best selection of outdoor sconce lighting and other types of exterior fixtures to complete your home. We carry a variety of looks and styles to suit any taste, making it easy to find the perfect pieces for your space.