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Great Outdoor Lighting Brightens the Season For Holiday Guests

From twinkling candles glimpsed through a window to trees and shrubs decked in brightly colored strands, outdoor lighting can be the warmest welcome for your guests during the holidays. And if you've been thinking about enhancing the outdoor lighting above and around your front porch or door, the holidays are a great time to put that thought into action. People spend more time than ever before in the outdoor spaces of their homes. The front and back entry areas have become living spaces frequented by friends and family. This has led to consumers wanting to decorate and light these areas with the same importance as the inside of their home. Attractive outdoor lighting not only enhances your enjoyment of your home, it adds curb appeal and value, and can welcome guests with a feeling of warmth and security all year round. Good outdoor lighting is especially important during the holidays, when more guests will be coming to your door, the experts agree.

Homeowners thinking about upgrading their outdoor lighting should keep some basics in mind, including scale, style, visibility and planning. Frequently, you see homes with outdoor lighting lanterns that aren't large enough for the home or the area it's illuminating. When choosing outdoor lighting lanterns to hang above your door, consider viewing your home's entry from the curb or coming up the driveway as a guest would. A good rule of thumb for choosing a right-sized outdoor lighting lantern is to pick one that is at least a third the size of the door, says outdoor lighting experts. That means if your door is 7 feet high, your lantern should be 27 to 30 inches long, outdoor lighting experts say if you decide to go with a outdoor lighting lantern on either side of the door, then each should be about 25 percent of the door's height. Appropriately sized outdoor lighting lanterns not only provide ample outdoor lighting illumination for the area you're trying to light, they also impart elegance to a facade, outdoor lighting experts all agree. They really are a show of confidence.

The style of the outdoor lighting is also important, the outdoor lighting experts agree. The style of your outdoor lighting should match both the design of your home's exterior and the lighting design inside the house.

Outdoor lighting should be selected to accentuate the architecture, not detract from the beauty of the structure, says outdoor lighting experts. What's more, they go on to say, it's important the entryway outdoor lighting has a relation with driveway outdoor lighting, landscape lighting, deck lighting and the rest of the lighting on your home. You want to avoid the "flea market" approach where all the pieces are different. If your home is colonial, Victorian, traditional, craftsman or contemporary, be sure to look for outdoor lighting that pairs well with the architectural style. For example, if the exterior color palette is warm, then brown or bronze light fixtures may be more appropriate, outdoor lighting experts point out.

Don't be afraid to incorporate some trends into your outdoor lighting design. Some hot outdoor lighting trends include the addition of crystals to different style fixtures, and for upscale homes natural gas lanterns in copper or brass. Layering several types of outdoor lighting at an entry is also popular. For example, if your door has an overhang, you may place recessed outdoor lighting in the overhang, paired with decorative outdoor lighting lanterns on either side of the door and outdoor lighting path lighting leading up to the door. There's more variety than ever in outdoor lighting, most of the outdoor lighting experts are in agreement. Pluralism is the trend.

Homeowners looking to temporarily enhance their outdoor lighting for the holidays have a host of options as well. Outdoor lighting designers like the idea of putting outdoor lighting on a dimmer to create a warm, comforting mood. Outdoor lighting designers recommend adding low-voltage landscape lighting, which is easy to install and can be moved or added on to in the future. Attractive outdoor lighting can be a great way to welcome your guests at the holidays, the outdoor lighting designers and experts all agree. A warm glow by your front door indicates your personality, and the personality of your home.