Tips & Techniques

FRONT DOOR LIGHTING IDEAS

Front Door

Be inspired with front door lighting ideas to ensure that you create the right impression and improve your curb appeal and can see to open your door. Great lighting at the front of your house not only provides a warm welcome for guests, but will also ensure that you can see to put your key in the lock. Here are our top front door lighting ideas to ensure that you create the right impression and improve your curb appeal.

Light travels and long way at night especially in the country so do use lighting selectively. Darkness can also be used to great effect to conceal any less attractive areas. A big don’t is to avoid security lights which are glary and will wash the space with too much harsh light.

1. MIX DECORATIVE AND ARCHITECTURAL

A lantern either side of the door creates a welcoming effect or add a hanging lantern if there is a porch. Whichever solution, these lighting elements are best dimmed and combined with some other concealed architectural lighting features such as Lucca 40 uplights to the door surrounds or Cazallas to skim light over steps.

front door lighting ideas for symmetrical front door with lanterns and uplights
2. CREATE INTEREST

For a townhouse, adding an element of uplight around the door creates a welcoming effect. Here four Lucca 30s provide the uplighting effect combined with Cazalla fittings washing light across the floor. This uplighting effect is then continued across to the front window.

front door with uplight surround with lighitng down the path
3. LIGHT THE PATH

For a long path, light it up to guide the way to the entrance. Here we used single facet Guidas. The palm trees are also uplit with Lucca 60s lighting the underside of the fronds.

lit path to palm trees either side of front door
4. SELECTIVELY LIGHT THE DRIVE AND FACADE

Consider how the whole front of the house will look as you drive in. Here the stone walls are uplit with Lucca 40s and selective trees are lit with Lucca 60s. The facade is lit with Hampton 40 floodlights.

Driveway to country house with selective features lit
5. OVERSCALE FOR EFFECT

Another way to add an additional layer of light which adds extra softness to the space is if you have cupboards which do not go to the ceiling, add an uplight such as a Contour LED strip from the top. This will allow you to create a bright light for during the day or, when dimmed, a warm glow at high level for the evening.

uplit overscaled pot with planting either side of a front door
6. LIGHT ANY TEXTURE

If you have any textured walls, they are a wonderful surface to light to add some drama. Lucca 30s uplight this entrance to create a dramatic inviting space.

UPLIT TEXTURE TO CREATE A DRAMATIC ENTRANCE
7. LAYER THE LIGHTING

By adding lighting levels, you can create a visual feast. A combination of strategically placed Lucca 30 and 40 uplights, light up planting, pots and the archway. The balustrade above is lit with Contour HD LED strip and planting lit with Kew spotlights and Hampton Floodlights.

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