Tune In For This Curb Appeal Secret!

Written By Teal Davison

If you think curb appeal is all perfect lawns, paint colors, and plants, think again!

This blog will help you hone in on one of our favorite exterior improvements to make all the neighbors do a double-take. Keep reading to transform your home from dark and mysterious to bright and inviting!

Outdoor lighting makes guests feel welcome and pulls the exterior of a house together as a final touch. This copper sconce by AQ Lighting steals the show on the exterior of our Verde Vista project.

My golden child is path lighting. If you don’t have a path, try an up-spot light under a tree. Remember–don’t overdo it! (We’re not trying to look like the Bellagio). This light is one of my faves, it has a wide cast, it’s bright and, most importantly, it’s 2700 kelvin.

Outdoor path lighting is a crucial element in both the aesthetic and functional design of your home's exterior. By illuminating walkways, driveways, and garden paths, these lights enhance safety and navigation while adding a welcoming ambiance. Various options are available, including solar-powered, low-voltage, and LED lights, each offering different benefits in terms of energy efficiency, installation ease, and brightness levels.

In addition to path lighting, incorporating up-spot lights in your trees and garden can transform your outdoor space, highlight landscaping features, and provide a welcoming approach to your home and for you and your guests. Whether opting for sleek modern designs or charming traditional lanterns, both path lighting and up-spot lighting are versatile additions that elevate both the beauty and utility of your home's exterior.

These path lights at our in-progress West Slope Modern project are perfect for guiding the way on late summer nights. Stay tuned for more updates on our Instagram as we finish up this project!

Pause For Power

All outdoor lighting is not created equal in terms of power. Usually, residential exterior lighting is low voltage, rather than line voltage. This is because low voltage is easier to install, flexible for relocating or adjusting the lighting, and better for residential when lighting smaller areas

  • LINE VOLTAGE lighting is directly connected to a power source and is 120 volts. This is high power and requires cables to be buried 18 inches or more in the ground. 

  • LOW VOLTAGE lighting, however, operates using a transformer. The wires for the lights do not carry as much voltage and can be installed just below the ground to hide the cord, but not at the cost of safety. 

It is important to understand how your lights are powered and whether they are compatible with line or low voltage. Therefore, ensure that the lighting fixtures you are purchasing are low voltage and that you have all the necessary parts, including the transformer, to illuminate them.

See below for some more of my favorites:

There’s something special about a classic up-and-down light. It keeps the light out of eye-sight and gives the exterior a classic look. This one is a go-to, it’s affordable and comes in tons of sizes.

This heavy-lifter is my go-to security flood motion light.  

P.S. Ask a painter to powder-coat these so they disappear into the house body color!

This Schoolhouse sconce is no-brainer for me.

It’s a perfect size and it has fun shapes and colors—
you can’t lose!

A motion light is perfect when approaching the side of the house, or paving the way for the car in the winter. 

Picture this Rejuvenation light next to a side door!

PRO-TIP: Make sure you read the fine print, outdoor lighting needs to be wet-rated. Yep, just like it sounds. Wet-rated lighting fixtures are used in places with direct exposure to water (weather). Locations include all outdoor lights, landscaping lights, and path lights. 

The Big Questions: Where and How?

When deciding the placement of your outdoor lighting, the first question to ask is: Where is my power source? This will ultimately determine what size of lights will suit your home.

  • HIGH j-boxes offer freedom in your choices.

  • LOW j-boxes will immediately tell you that you need smaller fixtures that light the pathway.

The general rule of thumb is that you can’t hang an oversized fixture low, but you CAN hang a small fixture, high.

We love this Rejuvenation light featured at our Raleigh Hills project, which is certified as wet-rated for outdoor use.

Modern vs. Traditional

We generally recommend keeping your outdoor lighting in line with the aesthetic of your home. A traditional home would benefit from traditional lighting and a modern home, modern lighting, respectively.

  • Traditional Lighting will generally be large with more glass, with bulbs showing, or hanging from a chain. 

  • Modern fixtures will have LEDs, strip lights, hidden bulbs, and look more boxy with clean lines and shapes

Happy lighting!
Teal

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Teal Davison
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