34 Outdoor Lighting Ideas for Front of House (2024)

Outdoor lighting is essential to enhance the outlook of your house. And in choosing the right fixture, the architectural design of your home is a crucial consideration. A wrong fixture can drop down the entire outlook of the house. But no worries, I’m here to help you out. 

Divide the outdoors of your house into different sections; for instance, the entrance door, garage area, patio, garden, boundary wall, etc., and then light accordingly. Warm colors are ideal for house lighting to give a cozy and homely vibe. But you can also use cool light or other colors that suit your taste. However, LED lights are best for both indoor and outdoor house lighting. They are available in different forms like- LED strips, spotlights, recessed lights, and more. You can place them in various parts of your house to bring the best output. 

For your convenience, I’ve brought you 34 excellent ideas to light up your house exterior in today’s article. So, check them out-.

YouTube video
Table of Contents Hide

The lighting requirement of all sections of the house exterior is not the same. For instance, garden lighting needs soft accent lights, but more prominent lighting is required for pathways for proper visibility at night. So, considering these factors, I’ve presented outdoor lighting ideas for all sections of your house separately. 

Outside Front Door Lighting 

During outdoor lighting of your house, front door lighting is the most popular section. Your home may not have a large patio or garden area. But it surely has an entrance door that you can light up to enhance your outdoor look. So, here I presented a few front door lighting ideas for your house; check this out. 

1. Add Lanterns To Bring Vintage Look

Lighting fixtures like lanterns are never out of date. You can place them on the entrance door in any style; wooden, metallic, white, black, or even on colorful doors. Lanterns’ lights come in different designs and sizes, which you can set on different sides of the door. Placing a medium or giant lantern (if you have a large entrance area) looks fantastic. It elevates the outlook of your house, making a bold statement. You can also add small lanterns on both sides of the door; this looks fancy. 

However, warm colors are always best for lantern lighting to bring an accurate vintage effect. This gives a candlelight warmth to your house, making it feel more cozy and homely. And adding these fixtures will also create a welcoming atmosphere for your guests. 

Elegant entrance with ornate doors and lantern lighting

2. Bring Modern Touch To Entrance Of Your House

In houses with modern patterns, slim and simple light fixtures like LED strips or recessed lighting suit best. Mount the LED strips around the edges of the doors to illuminate the area. You can also try this to highlight unique elements or features in your entrance door. For instance, if you have any painting or wall hanging pieces, you can install these strips around them. Besides, lighting the calling bell switchboard with LED strips will be an excellent and creative move. To learn more about the mounting techniques of LED strips, check out Installing LED Flex Strips: Mounting Techniques.

You can also add recessed lighting for the ceiling above the entrance door area. Here both warm and cool light colors will work great. Go for numerous small-size recessed lights rather than big ones – this brings more elegance to your house entrance. However, combine LED strips and recessed lights to get the best outcome for entrance door lighting. For instance, add LED strips on the boundary of the ceiling wall, door, bell switchboard, or other elements. And then mount recessed lights all over the ceiling. 

Modern entrance with colorful LED lighting.

3. Install Bulky Lights In The House With A Large Entrance 

Having a house with a wide entrance area opens up enormous lighting options. Here you can experiment with bulky light fixtures that small houses won’t allow. Giant chandeliers or sturdy pendant lights suit these houses best. Hanging a prominent fixture in the center of the entrance area will give a dynamic outlook to your front door. And if you have ample space, you can also go for two, three, or even more fixtures, depending on the area in front of your house. However, this type of lighting scheme works best for large bungalows and the entrance to duplex or triplex homes. 

Grand entrance with ornate chandelier and glowing lights.

4. Adding Multiple Light Fixture Around The Front Door

Instead of a single type light fixture, try adding multiple category lights to your entrance. It will help you layer up the front house lighting adding a dimension to your house. For instance, use all sconces on both sides of the walls. You will find a wide range of designs for side wall lighting- candle sconces, swing arm sconces, sign sconces, wall washers, etc. You can choose any of these that suit your taste and house exterior. Next, move to ceiling lighting. Add LED strips, recessed lights, spotlights, or track lights here. Experiment with pendant or lantern lights to bring special attention to your front door. And in case you have a big house door with a wide space in front, you can also choose chandeliers. This will add a royalistic vibe to your house. Thus combining different types of light fixtures can create a unique statement for your home. 

Elegant front door with warm evening lighting.

Open Garage Lighting

Garage lighting is a must to let your guest know the parking slot. An open garage does not require general or ambient lighting. Simple accent lighting is ok for this section. However, I’ve listed a few fantastic open garage lighting ideas for your house. These are as follows- 

5. Use Recessed Light To Highlight Parking Zones

Recessed lights are excellent for open garage lighting. Usually, this sort of garage doesn’t have a shed; cars are parked in the open sky. So, the only lighting option left here is to illuminate the wall in front of the parking zone. To do such lighting, install recessed lights on the narrow top ceiling above the garage wall. You should install lights keeping a decent gap between the fixtures to get better lighting output. For instance, if your garage area supports three parking spaces, install three recessed lights; so each car gets equal illumination when parked. This will give a neat look to your garage area. However, you can also use spotlights, track lights, or wall washers for this type of accent lighting. 

Three luxury cars parked in a modern garage.

6. Rustic Outdoor Garage 

Having a wooden house most of the time gives a rustic vibe. And lighting the garage of such homes requires fixtures that match the exterior. Traditional style lighting will best suit a rustic outdoor garage. Here you can install lamp-like fixtures or woodcut lights. Halogen lights with a brass or metallic case also provide a rustic look to your garage. You can go for this garage look in your farmhouse or penthouse. Or if you have a bungalow or villa in hilly areas surrounded by greenery, such rustic light fixtures will complement your house exterior best. 

Cozy wooden garage with lamps and lush landscaping.

7. Add LED Strips To Your Garage Area

LED strips are the best option to bring a soft glow and elegant lighting to your garage area. These light fixtures throw indirect illumination into your site without creating any glaring. Here, I suggest you go for high-density LED strips to make this lighting effect more smooth. They don’t create dots and give even lighting. Besides, IP rating is also a crucial factor to consider for open garage lighting as this area faces wind, dust, storm, or rain. So, go for a higher IP-rated LED strip for better protection. To know more about IP ratings, go through this article- IP Rating: The Definitive Guide

However, in light colors, you can go for plain white LED strips in warm or cool tones. For customizing light coloring, tunable white LED strips are also great options for the garage. Depending on your mood, you can adjust your garage lighting from warm to cool. Besides, if you are a race car lover with an extensive collection of racing cars, RGB LED strips will suit your garage best. 

Modern garage with LED lighting at dusk.

Patio Lighting

The patio area includes the front section of your house, where you set up a small tea table or dining arrangement for outdoor meals or chit chats. The house’s patio is one of the most attractive parts of the exterior. It is where you have parties with friends, sweet family moments, or a romantic candlelight dinner with your partner. So, here are some excellent lighting ideas for your house patio- 

8. Go For Fairy Lights 

Fairy lights are the most common type of lighting for patios. These lights add a personalized touch to your house exterior and thus create a more homely atmosphere. Connect these lights from your house walls and run them above the table settings. These will create a glowing shed-like structure on your patio. Here you can have family meetings and greetings, tea parties with friends, outdoor birthday parties, or happy times with your kids. You can also add these fairy lights to the trees surrounding the patio. This will add more illumination to your space, creating a cozy atmosphere. 

Cozy backyard patio with string lights and dining table.

9. Add Colorful Lights To The Patio Area

Usually, warm yellowish or bright white lights are used for patio lighting. But you can add colorful string lights in this area to bring a more playful outlook. Red, orange, green, blue, or multicolor lights suit spaces most. You can also go for RGB LED strips for patio lighting. You can use them creatively to enhance your patio lighting. For instance, you can install them around your outdoor tables and chairs or outline the seating area platform. This type of colorful lighting in your patio works best for parties or festivals like Christmas or Halloween. You can also add bright fairy lights around the trees. The combination of green leaves and colorful sparkling lights will bring a mesmerizing glow to our house outdoors. 

Colorful outdoor patio with string lights and cozy seating.

10. Gazebo Light Curtains

Gazebos are excellent outdoor structural options for houses with large patio areas. They can be of different styles, royal, victorian, or simple, sleek patterns of the modern era. And depending on the gazebo pattern, you can light the patio to bring the best outcome. For instance, hang string lights from the ceiling height of the gazebo just like an illuminating curtain. Here you can also tie the string lights to give a realistic curtain-like effect. Including transparent tissue-like fabrics behind the lights is also a creative move to implement. Here you can also try DIY ideas to uplift the outlook of glowing curtains. For example- try adding metallic hanging pieces or colorful pom poms with string lights. This will work great to enhance the exterior decoration of your house.

Outdoor gazebo with string lights at night.

Boundary Wall Lighting

Boundary lighting is the most common outdoor lighting practice people have followed for years. Lamp lights were most common in this category and were mostly used for security purposes. But now, there are numerous lighting options for boundary lighting. These are used for ornamenting your outdoor house decor, which you will never forget to add. So, here I’ve listed some creative ideas which you can follow to light your house boundary- 

11. Go For Accent Wall Lighting

Add two small directional floodlights to create accent lighting on your house boundary walls. Divide the wall into equal sections and install these fixtures in the middle, maintaining equal distance. This type of accent lighting works excellently for textured walls like- brick or stone walls. The soft illumination from the lights brings out the pattern of the walls. Thus, your house looks gorgeous even at night lighting. 

Nighttime garden with modern wall lighting.

12. Use Warm Tone Lights To Bring a Royalist House Appearance

Warm lighting is always known best for the royalist outlook it brings. And adding these warm tones to your house boundary walls can’t resist the passerby from staring at your house. Here the option for choosing a light fixture is endless. You can go for floodlights, LED strips, recessed lights,  wall sconces, small lamps, and more. And if you have 2D or 3D design patterns within the walls, try installing small spotlights with them. Doing this will add an extra dimension to your walls.

Illuminated ornate gate with intricate design at night.

13. Boundary Wall Lighting From Underneath 

Lighting underneath the boundary walls is a unique technique that can give an illusion of space. That is, such lighting can make your area look more prominent. For bottom wall lighting, LED strip lights are the best option. They are easy to install and can be sized at any measurement to outline the boundary area. However, if you have a large house with long boundary walls, install Super Long Constant Current LED strips. Using these, you can cover up to a 50-meter area without any cutting hassle. To know more about LED strip lengths, check this- What Are the Longest LED Strip Lights?

Recessed lighting is also an excellent option for underneath-wall lighting. These built-in lights are installed on the floor adjacent to the boundary walls. To bring the best outcome, go for angular lights that face the wall from the bottom. This will create accent lighting, just like the below picture.

Modern house with exterior LED strip lighting.

Pathway Lighting 

A path or walkway leads you to your house entrance. There are several lighting options to implement outdoors in this sector of your house. Here are some of those-

14. Adding Lighting Patterns To the Walkway

Patterned lights form dynamic lighting shades that enhance your house pathways. They work great for cottage-style houses, especially when installed on brick or stone-engraved walkways. And the lighting patterns reflecting on the textured pathways provide a magical pleasure for your eyes. You will find a wide range of options in lamps with patterned lighting. Some give a start like lighting, while others bring circular or floral illumination. Undoubtedly, these pattern lights will create an uplifted statement of your house outlook. So, choose the one that suits your house exterior best. 

Cozy, well-lit house with garden path and fountain.

15. Try Build-In Lights 

Built-in lights or bottom recessed lights are a common category of pathway lighting. You will find this type of lighting in the walkways of five-star hotels and restaurants. Try adding them to outdoor pathways to bring this elegance to your house. However, these lights complement best on walkways around the garden. The glowing reflection underneath the ways creates a heavenly atmosphere within the green garden. You can also try them near poolside walkways. In these cases, go for cool-tone lights. These will look excellent with the watery effect around pools.

Illuminated path in lush garden with wooden walkway.

16. Outline The Pathway Using LED Strip Lights

LED strip lights are your ultimate choice if you want to bring a modern and sleek outlook to your house exterior. These strips are super flexible to install. You can quickly outline the walkways from both sides with these strips. Besides, LED strips open many DIY options for lighting walkways. For instance, you can try shaping the strips to dynamic patterns along the walkway. Or double-line the ways from both sides. In this case, bluish cool white strips will look best for giving an electrifying effect. However, you can also add colors with RGB LED strips. These strips will go well for the walkways near your house’s patio or gazebo area. 

Modern house with illuminated pathway at dusk.

17. Bring Magical Touch Using Motion Sensor Lights

Smart house lighting is now on trend. These lights have automatic sensors that detect motion and turn on and off accordingly. Sensor lights are most common for indoor house lighting, but you can add them to your outdoor walkways. Installing these lights will mesmerize your guest each time they visit your house. Motion sensor lights emit IR rays; when these rays hit objects, they identify the motion and illuminate accordingly. So, when you step into the walkway, the lights will start to glow and turn off as you move forward. Thus, motion sensor lights will bring a magical touch to your house and save electricity usage. 

Illuminated garden path with stepping stones at twilight.

Outdoor Stair Lighting

Outdoor stair lights are excellent for bringing an elevated glow to your house exterior. Here you will get several options to bring the best lighting effect; here are some of my suggestions- 

18. Create a Floating Stair Effect

LED strip lightings are now on trend for stair lighting. You can use them on both indoor and outdoor stairs of your house. The flexibility of these strips allows you to design them easily around the stairs. You can quickly install them on the stairs’ steps, treads, and railings. For instance, install the LED strips horizontally through the steps of your stairs. This effect will look best when installed underneath the steps giving a floating illusion. Here you can choose either cool white or warm white lighting for a watery effect. However, I suggest using bluish-tone white strips for the best floating effect. 

You can add these strips vertically along the stair treads or place the strips horizontally in the middle of each step. Both ways will look innovative. The scope of stair lighting ideas with LED strips is endless. You can also go for a DIY option and experiment with RGB or addressable LED strips. Check out 16 Stair Lighting Ideas With LED Strip Lights to get more ideas.

Modern outdoor stairway with LED lighting at night.

19. Vintage Stair Lighting

Having wooden outdoor stairs? Go for vintage theme lighting to bring the best lighting output. Install recessed lights on the feet of the stairs. You can follow the stair foot or install them under or to the side of the stairs. Try adding Victorian patterns lamp lights at the end of the railings. This will bring a completely vintage look to your house exterior. And to intensify the effect, you can go for lantern lights in front of the entrance door and see the mesmerizing result! However, in choosing light colors, always go for warm-tone colors. They work best for this lighting type to bring a royalist and antic vibe. 

Grand wooden staircase with ambient lantern lighting at twilight.

20. Highlight The Stair Surroundings

Lighting the stair with recessed lights or LED strips is common. So, to bring uniqueness to your stair, light up the surrounding areas instead of direct stair lighting. Doing this will give a soft glow to your stair, bringing the perfect accent lighting effect. 

Go creative in creating this type of outdoor lighting. For instance, add small stones or gravel on the edges of the staircase. And now set small green plants within the stones. You can use small solar lamps, built-in lights, or LED strips here. The shading of the lights around the stones and plants will create a beautiful illumination for your stair. And taking this idea, you can make hundreds of inspired stair lighting for your house. For example- add small showpieces or illuminating stones around the stair, add fairy lights, and more. 

Illuminated garden stone steps surrounded by lush greenery.

21. Automatic Stair Lighting

Imagine stepping upstairs makes them light up automatically. Won’t it be amazing? You can bring this magical effect to your house stairs. For this, purchase motion sensory LED strips and install them on your stairs. You can follow different design patterns to light them up. For example, placing them under each step or along the edges. Each time you step on the stairs, they will glow up and turn off as soon as you step out. Try installing these automatic fixtures to blow up everyone that visits your house. 

Modern staircase with orange LED lights.

Garden Lighting 

The garden is the most attractive part of outdoor house lighting. Illuminating the green plants and colorful flowers in the best way you can create a bold statement for your house outlook. So, here I have got a few garden lighting ideas for you- 

22. Go For Globe Lights

If you want to outstand the entire outlook of your garden, go for globe lights. First, cover the whole garden surface with stones and gravel to bring an aesthetic appeal. Also, try adding big to medium size rocks to balance the tone. And then install landscape glove lights on the garden bed. For this type of lighting, warm yellowish tones suit best over cool blueish tones. Combining green plants and stones with the soft glow of globe lights will take your house’s outdoor ambiance to the next level!

Zen garden with illuminated spherical lights at dusk.

23. String Lights For Highlighting Trees 

To bring a fairy tale vibe to your house, try adding string lights around the trees of your garden. String lights are available in different designs and colors. Instead of going for plain colors, light warm or cool white, you can try colorful options also. Drap the string lights on the stem of large trees and the tip of the small green plants. To complete the look, you can also hang designer lamp lights on the tree branch. 

Garden with trees decorated in string lights at night.

24. Fairy Lights For Raised Garden Beds

If you are one of those who loves to grow vegetables, then you surely have raised garden beds in your house. They open up creative lighting options for you. Go for LED strip lights to border the beds. This will look best if you have well-built wooden garden beds. When lit at night, the soft glow from the LED strips will make your garden feel heavenly. Make a glowing shed above the garden bed using fairy lights to add a more magical touch. Here choosing designer lights like star-shaped or plain balls will look great. 

Cozy backyard garden with string lights at dusk.

25. Overhead Lights For Seating In Garden

Nothing feels more amazing than having a well-organized garden area at your home. You can sit here at your leisure and enjoy the natural beauty. Garden site seating areas are excellent for tea parties with friends or evening snacks with family. To enhance the beauty of this section, add designer hanging pieces above the seating area. You can choose bamboo pendant lights of different sizes. The minimal look of this type of crafty fixture will complement your garden area best. Besides, you can also add candlelights to the spot to bring a cozy vibe. Such a garden setting also sets the best environment for reading books or having a romantic date on moonlit nights. 

Cozy outdoor patio with wicker furniture and hanging lights.

26. Illuminating The Garden Bed 

Go creative with your garden lighting, installing LED strips to your garden bed. Choose LED strips of your desired color and outline them around your garden beds. Here instead of making the traditional rectangular, square, or circular outline, try shaping the strips to irregular random shapes. This will add a dimension to your garden lighting. In this case, you can also use LED neon flex. The bright color of these lights will bring a vibrant glow to your outdoor space. Additional to bed outlining with strip lights, place some upward directional spotlights facing towards the plant. This will create a beautiful shading within the plants. To enhance the beauty of this setting, you can also install some small globe lights in the garden bed- the outcome will amaze you!

Colorful LED path lights in scenic garden at night.

27. Bushes & Tree Boundary Lighting  

Boundary lighting of trees and bushes are the most common lighting for garden area. Usually, string lights are used to highlight the plant tubs or to boundary the trees. You can bring newness to this traditional lighting idea by using LED strips. Place these strip lights around each tree to give your garden a structure. Instead of white lights, try adding colorful strips, like light blue, green, or red. This will bring a playful outlook to your house. Here you can also use small spotlights around the trees to create shading. However, for bush lighting, string or fairy lights always works best.

Colorful lights wrapped around trees in a garden.

28. Lily Pond Lighting

Lily ponds alone can uplift your entire garden look. It can be the central attraction of your house. And to intensify the beauty of this lily pond, proper lighting is a must. Install small spotlights inside the pond to create an underwater lighting effect. In this case, use diffused light fixtures to get the best output. You can also add LED strips or IP68-rated neon flex lights in the pond. The blooming lilies appear magical at night, having such a light setting. To complete the look, set some stones or gravel around the pond. Besides, a waterfalling fountain at one side of the pond can add an extra effect to the ambiance. You will find more fountain lighting ideas in the latter half of the article. So, continue reading. 

Illuminated garden pond with water lilies at night.

29. Add Solar Lights To Your Garden 

Recently I visited one of my friends’ houses and was mesmerized seeing how creatively he used solar lights around his garden. You can also do the same. There are different solar lights available in the market. They come in different shapes and sizes, which you can use on garden pathways, around the flower bed, or as boundary lighting of big trees. These solar lights will cut your electricity cost while bringing enough illumination to your garden. 

Beautiful garden at night with pathway lights.

Outdoor Pool Lighting

What can be more exciting than having a private pool in your house? And to make your pool site more attractive, lighting plays a crucial role. So, here I’ve bought you a few pool lighting ideas for your house- 

30. Add Colorful Lights To Your Pool 

Instead of typical white lighting, try adding colorful lights to your pool. In this case, the proper color selection and combination are very important. A wrong light color can ruin the entire pool outlook. Soft light colors like blue and pink suit pool lighting best. You can use LED strips or recessed lights inside the pool. For instance, outlining the pool boundary with colorful LED strip lights complement the surrounding. In this case, IP rating is a crucial factor to consider. For pool lighting, purchasing a light fixture with IP68 is a must. Check IP Rating: The Definitive Guide to learn more about IP ratings.

However, RGB LED and addressable strips will change the entire lighting game, of your house, especially for pool parties. Addressable strips can sync with the music, so undoubtedly installing these lights will rock your DJ party. And this will never let your friends and guests miss your pool parties. 

Luxury backyard pool with colorful LED lights at night.

31. Combine Different Light Source To Illuminate Your Pool Site 

Instead of going for a single type of light fixture, combine multiple lighting to illuminate your pool. This will create an excellent ambiance for your pool site. For example- install LED strips along the pool boundary, then add recessed lights on the bottom of the pool. Don’t skip to light the pool stairs. Here you can use colorful lighting too. But always try to maintain the scheme. For instance, adding bright colors on one side of the pool and something light on the other side will make the pool look awkward. Besides focusing on the pool, also emphasize lighting sunloungers (poolside chairs) or umbrellas if there are any. In this type of lighting, LED strips are your ultimate choice. However, you can experiment with fairy lights too.  

Colorful LED-lit pool area at night.

32. Use Neon Lights For Pool

Neon lights work best for pool lighting to bring a quirky lighting effect. This lighting looks fantastic in the darkness of night. The popping color from the water inside the pool will keep your guest staring at your pool site. In this case, go for LEDYi neon flex lights. They are excellent for siding and designing. They are available in horizontal, vertical, 3D, and 360-degree round bending variants. That is, you can utilize them in whatever way you want. So, to get premium quality LED neon strips for your pool, check our IP68 PU & IP68 silicon neon series. 

Luxury pool with neon lights at night.

House Fountain Lighting 

Fountains are the centerpiece of attraction for houses. And to enhance the beauty of this section of your home, check the below ideas- 

33. Traditional Fountain Lighting 

Fountain lighting is not a new concept. You will find multi-stair fountains in luxurious bungalows and cottage-style houses. Usually, traditional fountains are designed with gorgeous patterns that give a royal look. You can add strip lights around the edges of the fountain steps or can also try small spotlights. This will work as accent lighting to bring out the classic designs of the fountain. Here you can use warm or cool-tone white lights or choose colorful options. 

Illuminated garden fountain with cascading water at night.

34. Bring Modern Touch To Your Fountain

In contrast to traditional fountains, modern ones are very simple and plain in design. There is not much artwork going on with these fountains. You can bring an elegant and aesthetic appeal to your house outdoors, featuring a modern wall fountain. If you have a swimming pool in your house, you can also add this type of fountain on one side of the pool. 

LED strips or LED neon flex are excellent options to complement modern-style fountains. Here you can select different color lights, too, for example- blue, green, or neon pink. Besides outdoor house fountains, this lighting idea will also suit malls, hotels, or restaurants. Check this article for more ideas about fountain lighting – Fountain Lights: The Definitive Guide.

Illuminated indoor pool with cascading waterfall at night.

Dos & Don’ts While Outdoor Lighting  For Front Of House 

When lighting outdoors in your house, it is essential to follow some basic techniques to bring the best output. And in doing so, you should also know some facts to avoid. So, here I’ve listed some dos and don’ts that you should follow in lighting your house exterior. Check this out- 

Dos For Outdoor House Lighting: 

  • Use LED lights as they are energy efficient.

  • Choose warm color lights for the outdoors. Using cool color lights makes the landscape look less vibrant. 

  • Layer-up lighting is essential. Choose multiple light fixtures for this purpose. 

  • Ensure the pathway has sufficient lighting for a safe walk at night. 

  • Go for shadowing and gazing to bring a dramatic effect. 

  • Choose light fixtures that match the architectural style of your house. 

  • Install lantern lights on the front door to give a warm welcome. 

  • Purchase light fixtures with higher IP ratings to withstand adverse weather conditions like- wind and rain. 

Don’ts For Outdoor House Lighting:

  • Don’t overdo house lighting; keep it minimal. For instance, choosing bright-colored lights for a modern house exterior will not look good. This type of house suits soft and warm tone lights. So, be careful while selecting light colors. 

  • Avoid angle lights directly into your house. Instead, let the illumination face the landscape to a neat appearance. 

  • Don’t use light fixtures with high wattage that can cause direct glaring. 

  • Never keep the wirings exposed. These can cause unexpected accidents. 

  • Don’t point the light directly at doors and windows. In this case, using LED strip lights gives an indirect soft glow. 

Modern house entrance with lush garden and lighting.

Common Light Fixtures For Outdoor House Lighting

In the above section of the article, you learned about different outdoor lighting ideas for the front of the house. Now, I’ll introduce some excellent light fixtures that work best for outdoors. 

  1. LED Strips: Whether lighting the entrance door, garage, patio, or swimming pool of your house exterior, LED strips are an excellent option. These strips are flexible and easy to install. You can cut them to your required length. This also opens up customization options. Besides, they are available in different colors and variants, including single color, tunable white, dim-to-warm, RGB, and addressable LED strips. These are available in different IP ratings suitable for outdoor usage. So, if you plan to light your house exterior, LED strips would be an excellent choice. 

  1. LED Neon Flex: These light fixtures are excellent for outdoor pool lighting. You can use them to light your garage area or pathway too. LED neon flexes are also great for lighting garden areas, for example, illuminating lily ponds. They imitate the glow of traditional neon glass but are more efficient, durable, and perform better. You can also go for DIY lighting using these strips. To know more, check this article- The Ultimate Guide to LED Neon Flex Lights.

  1. Recessed Light: For indirect lighting, recessed lights are a fantastic option. Installing them to boundary walls, garages, pathways, or pools gives your house outdoors an aesthetic look. They are available in different sizes and beam angles. You can choose the one that suits your area best. 

  1. Flood Light: If your house has textured boundary walls, flood lights are your go-to option. These lights bring a soft floating effect to your walls. This light category works best for wooden, brick, stone, or other patterned surfaces.  

  1. Solar Light: You can choose solar lighting when lighting your house, pathway, or garden. They are available in different sizes and designs. Adding solar lights will not only enhance the outlook of your outdoors but also saves your energy cost.

  1. Lantern Lights: Lantern lights are a great option to decorate your entrance door. These lights work best to give a vintage vibe to your house. Besides, you can also use them in the gazebo area to bring a warming and elegant vibe. 

  1. Motion Sensor Light: These light fixtures use the latest technology that automatically turns on and shuts down, detecting motions. These smart lightings are great for path lighting or outdoor stairs. Including them in your house lighting will add a magical touch to your exterior.

Modern house with outdoor garden lighting at dusk.

Related Articles

Top 26 Creative Bathroom Lighting Ideas

Top 31 Restaurant Lighting Ideas

Top 27 Creative Hallway Lighting Ideas

16 Stair Lighting Ideas With LED Strip Lights

35 LED Strip Ideas for the Bedroom

YouTube video

FAQs

Combining multiple light fixtures, you can get the best outdoor lighting effect for the front door. For example, use LED strips to outline the door and add recessed lights at the ceiling. Then install decorative lighting pieces like lanterns, pendant lights, or even bulky chandeliers in the center of the entrance area. You can also add designer wall sconces on both sides of the door.

Yes, LED lighting is the finest choice for your house exterior. These lights are much more energy-efficient than conventional fixtures like fluorescent lamps. Furthermore, they are long-lasting and have a variety of designs for both indoor and outdoor usage. LED lights also include advanced features like- color temperature adjustability, dimming capacity, motion sensor, syncing features, and more.

Different light fixtures, including LED strips, recessed lights, and lamps, are ideal for outdoor lighting. You can use them to illuminate your entrance door, garden, walkway, garage, or boundary lights. However, a higher IP rating is essential for outdoor lighting as they face wind, Strom, rain, dust, and other adverse weather conditions. In this case, it is always better to go for higher IP ratings, i.e., IP66, IP67, or IP68.

People light up outside of their houses mainly because of security purposes. Proper lighting outside the home prevents thieves or bad-intended people from entering. Another reason is visibility at night. Besides, lighting areas like- the garden, patio, swimming pool, and garage gives your house an uplifted look. Here the lighting is used as a decorative element to bring accent lighting to your house.

Install different lighting fixtures in different spots to illuminate your house at night. For example, light up your boundary walls using LED strips, flood lights, lamp lights, or other fixtures. Then light up the attractive features of your house using spotlights or recessed lights. For instance, illuminate the garden area or the fountain or pool. Thus, you can brighten your home at night by adding accent lighting.

Higher-voltage LED lights are the best lighting option to highlight your house, especially at night. These lights are energy efficient, so they will consume little energy even when lit for the whole night. The smooth and even lighting effect of these light fixtures pop your house from a distance and bring visibility to your house even at night.

The best option for outdoor lighting is to go for light fixtures with wattage ratings of 80 watts or more. These lights are excellent for lighting boundary walls or general lighting to your house outdoors. However, 40-watt lights also bring accent lighting in outdoor areas. You can use them to illuminate your house’s garden beds, pathways, or other landscape areas.

YouTube video

The Bottom Line

For building the first impression of your house, exterior lighting plays the most crucial role. And to bring the best lighting effect, it is essential to layer them up. The first consideration here is to note the style of your house. If it’s a modern pattern building, LED strip lights, spotlights, and pendant fixtures will suit your home best. But if it is a cottage-style house, use lantern lights and wall sconces to bring a vintage outlook. 

However, LED strips are the best lighting options for outdoors. They come in several variants and are also energy efficient, durable, and shockproof. Besides, choosing LED neon flex for lighting your house pool or fountain is also a brilliant idea. Therefore, to get the best quality LED strips and neon flex, go for  LEDYi. We offer you wide customization options and waterproof light fixtures that are suitable for outdoor usage. So, Contact us ASAP!

Get An Instant Quote

We will contact you within 1 working day, please pay attention to the email with the suffix “@ledyi.com”

Get Your FREE Ultimate Guide to LED Strips eBook

Sign up for the LEDYi newsletter with your email and instantly receive the Ultimate Guide to LED Strips eBook.

Dive into our 720-page eBook, covering everything from LED strip production to selecting the perfect one for your needs.