Outdoor Lighting Fixtures - 5 Steps To Find The Perfect One

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1: Understand the Environment

Envision the space you’re thinking of adding an outdoor lighting fixture to and ask yourself, “Is this space a part of the main structure or detached surfaces? Is the area covered? Will I need high output lights for safety and security? Ambient soft lighting for entertaining? Or spot lighting for landscape illumination?”

Most outdoor lighting fixtures serve a very specific purpose, so it’s important to know what type of environment you’re attempting to create.

For primary outdoor lighting, consider natural gas mantles or high output LEDs in a lamp model with large, clear glass panes and minimal decorative accents.

For ambiance, a flickering open flame or soft light bulbs would be more appropriate. You may also add tinted or decorative glass panes and/or choose a lamp model with smaller transparent surface space to reduce the amount of bright, primary light emitted from a luxury accent lamp.

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2: Choose the type of INSTALLATION and PURPOSE that’s right for your home

Familiarize yourself with your lighting options so you can choose the appropriate outdoor lighting fixtures. The most common outdoor lights are:

WALL-MOUNTED LIGHTS

A wall light, or wall-mounted light, is a fixture that is attached to a flat vertical surface by a mounting bracket, perpendicular to the ground, and great for framing entry doors, patios, or near a highly trafficked garage door.

CEILING OR HANGING LIGHTS

Ceiling lights or hanging lights are attached to overhead structures/ceilings and can either be flush-mounted or hanging from a chain or fixed rod.

POST-MOUNTED LIGHTS

Post lights are stand-alone outdoor lighting fixtures that are separated from any structure, extending directly from the ground, and positioned 6-12 feet off the ground to illuminate in a 360 degree, unobstructed pattern. The post can either be buried in the ground or anchored onto a concrete pad. Post lights are generally used to illuminate a home’s exterior walkways and areas detached from the main structure.

PIER-MOUNTED LIGHTS

Similar to post lights, but fixed on top of a (typically square) column versus a round post, pier mounted lights can either sit flush or be fixed to the mounting surface with a designated bracket. Homeowners most often use pier-mount lights on entry pillars and property perimeter piers for unique exterior lighting that can showcase specific parts of their home.

SECURITY LIGHTING

Just as you would expect, security lights produce high output light intended to brightly illuminate the outside of a structure. Security lights are typically mounted high to cover large areas and can be motion activated. Typically this type of outdoor lighting fixture is installed as a wall light, but depending on the home layout, there are many other creative variations a homeowner can use.

LANDSCAPE LIGHTING

Designed to illuminate both the house and surrounding greenery, these lights are typically low voltage and come in three styles: Path, Spot, and Flood. When utilized in the right way, these lights create a wonderful layered look that adds depth and drama to the home and property.

3: Find the correct SIZE outdoor lighting fixture for the location you need

You’ll want to choose light fixtures that are the proper size for the location they’re being installed.

WALL-MOUNTED OUTDOOR LIGHTING FIXTURES

This will depend on the number of lights and doors. Outdoor wall-mounted fixtures are fantastic for a front door or other welcoming area.

• If you’re installing one light per door, choose a light roughly 1/3 of the height of the door.
• If you’re installing 2 lights per door, choose lights approximately 1/4 of the height of the door.
• If you have double doors, we recommend always installing a light on either side that can be in between 1/4 and 1/3 of the height of the door; but if only using a single light, choose one approximately 1/3 the height of the door.

Many of our customers use wall-mounted outdoor lights near their garage doors or other main exterior walls, as shown here.

CEILING OR HANGING OUTDOOR LIGHTING FIXTURES

It depends on the size of the covered area. If you have other lights in the space, try and choose similar styles, either of the same size or slightly larger to accommodate the space.

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PIER-MOUNTED OUTDOOR LIGHTING FIXTURES

The height and width of the pillar, as well as the surface space available to install the fixture, will determine the appropriate size light to choose.

• For a pillar measuring 4-6 feet high with a surface measuring 16-24 inches square, use a lamp approximately 2-3 feet high x 12-18 inches wide.
• For a pillar measuring 6-8 feet high with a surface measuring 24-36 inches square, use a lamp approximately 3-5 feet high x 18-24 inches wide.

POST-MOUNTED OUTDOOR LIGHTING FIXTURES

A standard residential post should extend from the ground approximately 6 feet high, and the light on top should add an additional 2 feet, bringing the total height of the fixture to approx. 8 feet high. This will ensure that the lamp is positioned just above average height, so the light can be enjoyed and easily maintained, but also out of reachable distance from the ground for safety.

If installing your outdoor lighting fixture on a hill or slanted surface, using a slightly longer post (perhaps 7 or 8 feet) may be appropriate.

For a larger estate home or commercial projects, a 6-12 foot post can be used, depending on the application, and the light on top should scale up with the size of the post. Check out our collection of estate-sized lamps for some great options!

LANDSCAPE AND SECURITY LIGHTING

Size is less dependent on the needs of the space than the size of the home, so you’ll have to use your judgment or work directly with your installer for their recommendation.

4: It’s all about STYLE!

Choosing the correct style of outdoor lighting fixtures for your home’s architecture can enhance or distract from the overall feel of the house. For example, you wouldn’t want to install a super-modern feature on a very traditional structure. So alignment is key!

If you’re not quite sure of the architectural style of your home, start HERE! The National Association of Realtors has compiled a list of the most common residential styles for you to choose from. Once you have that information, you can conduct your own research based on the style of your home. 

5: Use decorative ACCENTS

You have your installation type, you have your size, and you have your style. Now come the final touches; the small details that will make the lights uniquely yours.

Some of the most popular outdoor lighting accent options include:

• Finial: The decorative ornament on the very top of an exterior lighting fixture.
• Glass: Clear, beveled, seedy, water, frosted. There are several options to choose from.
• Color: Choose an exterior finish that complements the other features of your project.
• Other accessories: Ladder rests, plaques, and decorative bases are just some of the accessories available to complete the custom look of your outdoor lighting fixture.

Have Questions About Starting a Project?

And there you have it! You’re now well on your way to creating the perfect lighting fixtures for your individual space.

Ready to start customizing your own signature outdoor lighting? Start here.

If you have any questions about these tips, or if you’d like support in selecting the right options for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team by phone at 724-274-7131 or by email for a free design consultation

One of the easiest ways to freshen up a home’s exterior is to replace dated, tired outdoor light fixtures. This is true whether you are staging your home to sell, or you’ve been chomping at the bit to update those builder-grade fixtures that came with your home.

When it was time to replace ours, I quickly realized that there’s a lot to consider when selecting outdoor light fixtures. I’m excited to share what I learned throughout the process.

I’ve tolerated these builder-grade lights for over eight years, because I just couldn’t justify replacing perfectly functioning (albeit unattractive) fixtures. This fall, however, I finally convinced my dear husband that it’s time for a front entrance makeover.

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission). Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

When the task of upgrading exterior light fixtures finally made it to the front burner of our Home Improvement List, I set out on my quest to find the perfect replacement fixtures. I’m really happy with the choice we made! 

Here’s a close up photo of the old and new fixture:

Quite an improvement, don’t you think?

So what considerations should you keep in mind when shopping for the wall-mounted outdoor lights? Here’s what I learned.

How to Choose the Right Outdoor Light Fixtures 

Light Fixture Size

The most common mistake people make is to select lights that are undersized. Don’t assume that the builder-installed fixture is the correct size for you home, since they often install smaller fixtures in order to cut costs.

A good rule of thumb for the front door area is to select a fixture that is 1/3 the height of the door if there is only one light, and 1/4 the height of the door if there is a set of lights flanking the door.

Light Fixture Style & Color

When it comes to selecting a color/style of fixture, take cues from your home’s architectural features and color palette. No matter how much you are personally drawn to a particular style of light, it must be consistent with the style of your home (e.g., coastal-inspired fixtures belong on a coastal home). 

For example, I selected oil-rubbed bronze fixtures since they relate to the finish of our door hardware, as well as the copper roof that is adjacent to the front door. The simple, classic lines of the new fixture are also consistent with our home’s transitional style.

Light Fixture Illumination

You should also consider the degree of illumination produced by the fixture(s).

When making your selection, pay attention to the number and wattage of light bulbs that the fixture requires, as well as the type of glass (clear vs. opaque vs. seeded) it features.  All of these features will determine how much light is produced by the fixture.

Mounting Height of Your Light Fixture

Finally, keep in mind that the ideal vertical placement should be slightly above eye level and below the top of your front door.

If your junction box (i.e., the location where the light is installed to the wall) is located high on the wall, then you will want to select a fixture in which the fixture body falls below the junction box.

The Best Places to Buy Outdoor Lights

We’ve updated the outdoor lights in each all four of the homes we’ve lived in (following the steps for replacing an outdoor light outlined in this post).

I’ve become somewhat of an expert on scoping out the best places to buy exterior lights. My favorite sources for exterior lighting are all online.

They include:

These online stores have a vast selection of on trend lighting compared to what you will find in your local Big Box home improvement store and they typically offer free shipping.

Is replacing outdoor light fixtures on your home improvement “to do” list this year? I hope you found these tips helpful!

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