Whether you’re getting ready to list or you want to maximize the investment in your home, outdoor lighting is a great way to create instant curb appeal after dark. Why spend hours creating dramatic or appealing landscape details to let all the work go unnoticed when the sun goes down? There are a variety of outdoor lighting options to fit every style.

View a gallery of homes with great curb appeal after dark with some of the lighting solutions we’ve provided for our clients.

Front Door
Lighting your front door is essential for security, but don’t settle for only functionality. Make your front door (or porch) the focal point of your night time curb appeal. Adequate lighting is important for your own safety and for evening guests.

Fixtures next to the front door that are old (or look worn) can be replaced for an updated well-kept look. For a single door entrance, you might opt for a single fixture to highlight the door and house number. If you have a double door, symmetry is a great way to focus attention by adding two fixtures on each side.

Porch
Many homes have front porch lights that are too small to create an eye-catching focal point. Your home’s front door or porch should be welcoming and warm. Consider replacing tiny fixtures with larger pieces to make a great statement. Consider an eye-catching pendant light or recessed lighting beneath the eaves. Why not wrap LED lights around the front rails or highlight (and provide safety) for front steps.

Don’t forget to add matching containers for your porch or steps if you have space. Add lights to the containers to provide subtle lighting for a welcoming entrance.

Front Walkway
Avoid having the lighting along your front walkway look like it’s a runway. Your front walkway can have a modern look with clean lines or more of a magical feel at night just by adjusting your outdoor lighting fixtures. Using shields or glare guards are an easy way to point the eye downward providing safety lighting while highlighting details such as stone pathways. Add a romantic feel by placing lights in the garden along the pathway providing shadow light instead of direct safety lighting.

Landscaping
Many homeowners spend a great deal of time and money on creating and maintaining front flower gardens. Whether it’s a few well-designed containers or elaborate gardens that take up the entire front yard, don’t let it all be hidden after the sun goes down.

Uplighting (point lights up) creates depth. Casting shadows by putting light in front or behind a tree or shrub can cast light on a pathway or extend the look of your yard. Downlighting is best for security and aesthetics. The eye is drawn down to the landscaping details without overpowering the other aspects of your outdoor lighting for curb appeal.

Architectural Features
Every home has unique architectural features you can highlight or accent. Century homes often have peaks, scroll work, or other unique features that can increase curb appeal by day or night if lit appropriately. By uplighting, using a flood or wash light on the ground looking up, the height of the home is accentuated. Adding downlights near the eaves can help highlight modern lines.

Wash lighting is very effective on vertical surfaces, and depending on how it’s used, can make even a straight wall appealing at night.

Light up your landscape! Call Nite Time Décor today!