Front Door Lighting Ideas

Outdoor lighting fixtures for your front door can do more than illuminate your way home every night and deter potential malicious mischief. It can also accentuate the beauty of your property at all the right angles. Excellent lighting can dramatically enhance your home’s overall curb appeal and give a warm welcome to your guests.

In this article, we will feature some of our favourite front door lighting ideas and cover other crucial aspects that a lot of homeowners fail to give a second thought when selecting outdoor lighting fixtures. Hopefully, you will get some inspiration and try it at home. Keep on reading to learn more!

Popular front door lighting ideas

Different types of architectural lighting can be applied if you want to keep your front doors lit in style. Let’s start with the basics.

Lantern Sconces

If your door has a symmetrical space on either side, you can hang lantern sconces on either side. However, if you have limited space, you can install this outdoor lighting fixture on one side only. In this case, make sure you position it on the side where the doorknob is located. You can mount them securely on the wall or opt for hanging lanterns if you have a front porch.

Pendant Light

Hang pendant lights at the center and at least six inches above the front door. They give a large pool of light from above and can serve as the primary light. These outdoor lighting fixtures come in different designs, from rustic to contemporary. You will never run out of ideas. Not recommended if the winds get intense where you live.

Flush Mount

If you have a low ceiling or have a screened or storm door, outdoor flush mount lights will be your best bet. Install at ¼ of the height of the door, including casing.

Accent Lights

Use the uplighting technique by installing accent lights in the four corners of your front door. This front door lighting idea is a smart strategy to emphasize and direct an onlooker’s gaze to your gorgeous front door while keeping your property’s flaws hidden. You can even extend the uplifting effect of accent lights to your windows and floors. For maximum dramatic effect, you can combine the uplighting and downlighting technique as well.

While the Internet is teeming with remarkable resources, you can also do research or fieldwork by strolling through your own or the nearby neighbourhood (if it’s prettier) to check out other people’s outdoor lighting fixtures. By the end of the day, the experience has already given you lots of visual pointers and front door lighting ideas, too.

Moreover, to narrow down your choices, it’s essential to take a step back and consider different factors specific to your home and lifestyle that can affect your buying decision.

Now, let’s talk more about that.

Damp vs. Wet Ratings in Outdoor Lighting Fixtures

When you begin shopping for outdoor lighting fixtures, you will learn that products are categorized according to damp and wet rating. Damp-rated lighting fixtures are made for installation in certain areas that are not fully exposed to wet weather conditions, such as rain or snow. These types of lighting are intended for front door lighting ideas that involve awnings, front porch, and eaves of the roof.

On the other hand, outdoor lighting fixtures that bear a wet rating are designed explicitly with waterproof seals to prevent the electrical wires inside from getting soaked and end up becoming faulty or causing further damages. They can withstand direct contact and even high-level saturation from rain, snow, dense fog, or salt in the air. Wet-rated bulbs are guaranteed safe for all outdoor and landscape purposes. These are even the types of bulbs used to light up swimming pools and water fountains. Make sure you are purchasing the lights with the right rating.

What Size Should Front Door Lights Be?

After seeing beautiful front door lighting ideas, you’ve probably decided on what you want in terms of the lighting fixture’s style and finish. But what about the size? This is a factor that’s frequently overlooked by many homeowners when shopping for outdoor lighting fixtures. In this scenario, the proportion should be your priority. If it’s too big, it’s going to look drab. On the contrary, fixtures that are too small may seem insignificant and lose their purpose.

If you want to be accurate, measure the height of your front door. The general rule is your outdoor lighting should be between ⅓ or ¼ of that. This is perhaps more applicable for lantern sconces and pendant lights. Furthermore, entryway lights should also be installed at eye level.

What Is a Good Wattage for Outdoor Lights?

For your front door lighting ideas, opt for outdoor lighting fixtures that offer at least 80 watts, which is enough wattage to keep the area well-lit and is also environmentally friendly. You can use 80 watts and lower as an ambient outdoor light for the pathway or the flower garden.

LED vs. Incandescent Light

LED lights are rapidly replacing and putting incandescent bulbs off from the shelves—and with good reason. LED lights are proven to be more energy-efficient and last significantly longer compared to incandescent. They do not require a warm-up time like typical traditional bulbs. Most importantly, they are absolutely great as an outdoor lighting fixture, because LED lights can be mounted on walls and can have advanced motion sensor security features. They are also manufactured using more durable materials like plastic instead of glass, making them more adept to harsh weather conditions.

Pro tip: If you are still considering incandescent light for its warm glow alone, LED lights in 2700K can come close to that too.

At Burano Doors, Beauty Begins at Your Doorstep

Our timeless and premium-quality doors would look amazing regardless of what front door lighting idea you choose. We have a wide range of handcrafted and highly customized steel and fibreglass door systems. Beyond aesthetics, our front doors give you the best value for money when it comes to energy efficiency, privacy, security, and is guaranteed to last you for years.

For more information, do not hesitate to reach out to us. Our friendly representatives will be more than happy to help you. Contact Burano Doors now!