11 Outdoor Lighting Tips for your Home’s Entryway

Outdoor lighting … it serves so many purposes!

From a safety perspective, outdoor lighting should be one of the most considered parts of your home lighting scheme.  Driveways, paths, steps, they all present as safety hazards when you are fumbling around in the dark.

Outdoor lighting also serves the purpose of boosting the “curb appeal” of your home.  Besides, creating that warm welcoming feeling for your guests, a well considered outdoor lighting scheme, that improves the immediate aesthetics and appeal, can actually add value to your home.

The right outdoor lighting scheme is more than just showing off your home to its best effect, it ensures visitors to your home can enter easily, safely and be greeted with a warmth that only lighting can provide.

Consider the below tips when designing your outdoor lighting scheme.

Start with your own simple outdoor lighting plan

Take the time to walk your home’s front exterior and entry area at night.  Determine the spaces that require lighting for safety, such as pathways, steps or landings; and the spaces that would be aesthetically enhanced by lighting.

Take note of the outdoor lighting already available to you

This might include street lighting or internal lighting from inside your home that spills through onto your entry.

Take the architectural style of your home into consideration

Choose outdoor lighting fixtures that compliment the architectural style of your home. An easy example – lantern style wall or hanging lights on a heritage dated home.

Start at your front gate

From a safety perspective, this is important, but it also helps create that first impression that invites guests into your home.

Light your pathways

Lights such as bollards, up lights or recessed lighting in garden beds are great options for keeping your pathways lit and safe.

Light your steps

Outdoor steps can be a real safety hazard at night.  Make sure the edges of steps are sufficiently lit, and that you are installing the correct number of lights for sufficient illumination across the entire width of the steps.  It is also important to make sure your lighting is not producing glare, or in anyone’s direct line of sight.  LED strip lights are a great option for lighting steps with minimal glare.

Light your front door

This is the space you can get a little more creative in, as you can select from a huge range of outdoor lighting styles and designs. You can choose from wall lights, simple flush ceiling lights, hanging lights, or downlights.

Light other entrances to your home

This might include your driveway or your side entrance. Bollards are a great option for driveway lighting, and spotlights, pointed away from neighbors’ windows of course, are a great lighting solution for less readily used entrances to your home.

Layer lighting

Layering your lighting by combining accent, ambient and task lighting can help avoid shadows and unpleasant glare.  This can help keep your neighbours happy, can help eliminate safety concerns by avoiding “blinding” visitors as they navigate through your front entry, but it can also help create that warm inviting feeling.

Fill your garden with ambient light

This helps to provide illumination to other spaces in a subtle way.  Garden lighting also helps add to that warm inviting feeling.

Consider the climate

Any good lighting scheme should take into account the climate into which it is being installed.  The construction material, for instance, is important.  If you live near the ocean, you might consider fittings constructed of stainless steel.
The IP rating, a rating given dependent on the water and dust resistance of a light fitting is also important.  Generally, for outdoor lighting, you need a minimum IP rating of 65.

You only have one chance to make a stunning first impression, and a great lighting scheme can help you do that.  Rovert Lighting & Electrical have highly qualified staff that can help you create this first impression.  Give them a call to start your work on your outdoor lighting scheme.