Most homeowners like to add accents and features to their home over years to bring some elegance and sophistication. One way you can do this is with outdoor lanterns. They can greatly enhance the look of your home and your garden. There are a few things to consider if you are thinking about buying outdoor lanterns including how they will be used and where you want them to go. Once you go over the different factors, it will be much easier for you to determine which outdoor lanterns are right for your home.
The first thing you need to consider is the size. The most common mistake that almost every homeowner makes is choosing lanterns that are too small. If you are replacing old fixtures never assume that the old ones are the right size and when buying new ones, if you are faced with two options, always go bigger. Most people make the mistake of choosing light settings or lanterns based on their indoor spaces when in reality the outdoors of our homes appear much larger, hence a larger fixture will almost always look better.
If you want an outdoor lantern out the front of your house, you should consider placing a hanging one by your front door. It should also be the one emitting the most light, 1/3 of the door length should be the size for one fixture, and ¼ of the door length if you are considering putting two in. You should roughly cut out some cardboard and take it with you when looking at outdoor lanterns so you can know the size they need to be.
Colour is the next factor to take in. When choosing a colour for your outdoor lantern you want to match it to your home’s exterior. Earth tones and black tones seem to be the most popular because they are the easiest colours to work with that seem to match most houses. White can be striking but can work only with the right houses. It can however, look too much. If you do however have a themed yard, you can incorporate your lanterns to match garden décor.
Aside from colour, there is also style and you should base your choice on your home and personal taste. An easy way for you to do this is by identifying the key architectural features of your home; figuring out what style they are and then matching your lanterns appropriately. Your front door should be the focal point so you need to also compliment the door and bring out any other features of your home you may like. If you are adding lighting then think of lighting in layers – you want one brighter light then a few dimmer ones to give a layered and soft effect. Try to stay consistent with the style you choose so it doesn’t look too all over the place.
The last factor you should consider is the wattage you will use and being energy efficient. You want to stick to a lower wattage, just enough light for you to see where you are walking, decorative lights should be lower. Whenever you can you should opt for energy saving lights such as LED lights or CFLs. They may cost a bit more but they will help you save money on your energy bill in the long run. Lowering our energy consumption helps the environment and is something we should all strive to do.