Lighting The Exterior Of Your Colonial Home? Follow These Tips

Your colonial home's outdoor lighting is important for maintaining the look and feel of the period when your home was built. Luckily, there are many vintage outdoor lighting options available on the market today. Knowing what to purchase and how to make that lighting work with your colonial property can help to complete the look of your colonial period home.

Lanterns, Not Lights

Exterior light fixtures in colonial times took the form of lanterns that contained candles or flames that burned on a fuel like kerosene. To maintain the look of your colonial period home, you'll need to first find lanterns that mimic colonial styles. For your purposes, look for covered lanterns made mostly of glass with copper, brass or wrought iron fittings.

Symmetry is Key

Symmetry was very important to the colonial aesthetic. When you find the lanterns that you prefer for your property, the next step will be to install the lighting in such a way that it is balanced and symmetrical. To achieve symmetry, place one lantern on each side of your front doorway, or one pole lantern on each side of the path that leads to your home. If installing a row of hanging lanterns on the underside of your porch, keep the lanterns evenly spaced so that each lantern has the same amount of space in between the lanterns and each outer lantern is an equal distance from the end of the porch.

Dim Light Bulbs Mimic Candles

Your vintage outdoor lighting may not be fueled by gas or kerosene, but you can still achieve the overall effect of a flame by using a dim, pointed light bulb in each fixture. If providing your yard with enough light is a concern, increase the number of lanterns on your property.

Gold Opaque Glass Delivers Old-World Appeal

If you truly want to achieve the effect of a flame-lit lantern, consider purchasing opaque gold glass for your lanterns, rather than clear transparent glass. Gold glass will help cast a warmth over your yard that is reminiscent of flames, and may also send a subliminal message that somehow the glass has "yellowed" with age, which can help reinforce the vintage appearance of your home's exterior lanterns.

For more information, contact a customer service representative from your exterior lighting company. Your customer service rep can help you choose attractive, authentic-looking colonial lanterns, and can also discuss with you the best ways to achieve a balanced placement when installing your lanterns. 

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