Your landscaping is pristine, and you’ve done a lot of work on the exterior of your home, but with some updated lighting fixtures you can really take your curb appeal to the next level. High-quality outdoor lighting makes your home more attractive, helps you highlight certain features and can add quite a bit of safety and security to your property.
The type of lighting you should choose will depend on where that light is going to be placed. The lighting you place in a covered porch, for example, is going to be different than lights you might use to highlight some of the features in your landscaping.
Here’s a quick overview of some outdoor lighting fixtures for covered porches that will work well on your Williamsburg, VA property:
- Wall lights: There’s nothing more classic for a front or back porch than the wall light or sconce. These types of lights can be mounted on just about any surface, and will come in a wide range of styles and designs that will complement any type of architectural style. This means that, in addition to serving as a much-needed source of illumination, they’ll also be an attractive added feature in their own right.
- Ceiling and hanging lights: These types of lights are especially beneficial for covered porches, where you have the natural overhang from which to mount or hang them. If you don’t have any ideal area for a wall light or simply want to try a different aesthetic, you can use a ceiling or hanging light to light up your porch.
- String or globe lights: Sometimes referred to as “bistro lights,” these lights are becoming more popular for porches, including covered porches, to create a cozy, attractive environment for sitting outside and enjoying the view with a book or a friend.
Choosing the right lights
So how do you go about picking the right outdoor lights—and more specifically, how do you make sure the lights are the right size and you’re getting enough light shining on your property?
Part of this depends on how many fixtures you plan on installing. If you only plan to install one light fixture, you will want your light to be about a third the size of your door, if it’s located on a front porch. For two, the lights can be about a quarter of the height of the door, flanked on each side.
For ceiling and hanging lights, you should select designs that are proportional to the dimensions of the covered porch. The space must be tall enough to accommodate a hanging light. If you have a lower ceiling, you should instead choose a ceiling mounted light, because the hanging light could be a safety hazard, especially for your taller family members and guests.
Interested in learning more about how to choose the lighting for a covered porch in Williamsburg, VA, and the types of lighting we recommend for that part of your property? We encourage you to contact Healthy Communities today with any questions or to arrange a consultation.