Can You Mix and Match Exterior Light Fixtures?
Learn how to mix and match exterior light fixtures for a cohesive, stylish look that enhances your home's curb appeal and outdoor ambiance.
Nature is an eclectic blend of textures, shapes, and colors for a vibrant and stunning appeal. The home’s exterior should reflect a similar diversity by mixing up the lighting fixtures. The bold style choice can then set the tone for your interior design.
The key is understanding how to mix and match with the vast options in fixture types and styles, the materials, and the finishes to create balance and harmony.
Too much of an assortment becomes confusing and distracting whereas having one shared trait with all the lights keeps the design focused and uncluttered. Overall, the look should be cohesive with the house’s style and architecture.
Maximize Visual Interest with Mix and Matched Outdoor Lighting
Updating a home’s exterior light fixtures is an excellent way to transform your outdoor space and enhance the house’s curb appeal. Mixing and matching can be a fun twist for a unique style, but you want to avoid getting carried away and creating a disjointed feel.
Lighting features should complement other elements, such as door hardware and outdoor furnishings. Establishing a focal point and building the design plan around that is recommended. This can help filter the choices in a vast market saturated with an array of fixture types and styles.
The following tips will help you get started with updating your exterior lighting fixtures.
One Common Characteristic
Outdoor lights can be mismatched but should also be cohesive with one common characteristic. Consider using the same glass for each fixture or ensure they share the same finish when planning front entry lighting.
When deciding on one common trait for each fixture, you can narrow the choices in an overwhelming market. Searching for a distinct feature, such as seeded glass or a copper finish for all the lights, gives you a starting point for your design plan and can make comparing fixtures simple and straightforward.
The final result will be an eclectic outdoor space, albeit organized, simple, and polished.
A Focal Point
When designing any space, whether inside or outdoors, establishing a focal point is recommended. That’s true also when planning exterior lighting. You want a piece to stand apart from the rest, one with features that draw the eye. You can build the remaining elements around the central light.
These should complement the primary fixture instead of distracting from it. For instance, intricate chandeliers can add simple, elegant designs to the front entryway porch, welcoming guests with their appeal. Smaller lights will enhance this feature and not overwhelm the space.
Focal points are also an ideal way to draw attention away from less attractive areas in the garden. A stunning tree illuminated by a large spotlight can soften the feel of an overwhelming privacy fence.
Mixing Finishes, Styles, and Textures
Adding varied light fixture styles and finishes to porches, patios, and decks adds interest, but refraining from overdoing it is essential.
Getting carried away can be easy, though, considering the popularity and vast range of metal finish types. Many modern metal finishes are durable and resistant to chips and scratches for an extended life.
Combining a max of two styles and no more than three finishes can present a simplistic and polished feel.
Different finish textures can be blended, whether combining matte with a polished fixture. This is also true with glass with options like an etched texture, which complements the appeal of seeded glass.
Keep the Design Simple
The exterior light fixture market is vast, tempting homeowners to overwhelm their space with favorite choices when narrowing the choices proves challenging. In a cluttered and unorganized outdoor space, presenting a single focal point in any one area is difficult.
The objective is to strive for minimalism and simplicity, picking a couple of pieces that most attract you. For instance, an outdoor kitchen can be made to feel warm and welcoming by adding string lights, pendant lighting, under-counter illumination, or torch lights.
However, you want to refrain from adding all of these elements in favor of two or three of these to present your space in its best light. Overwhelming the area with lights is distracting and prevents guests from enjoying the space.
The Home’s Aesthetic
Ideally, the outside fixtures will align with the home’s architecture and style; this makes the lighting feel like it was meant for your property. One aspect to consider when comparing fixtures is the house color.
A light shade can complement a house in a neutral shade. Still, the contrast of a darker hue can also enhance the exterior. If you have difficulty mixing and matching colors, reach out to a reputable and qualified lighting professional.
Their knowledge and expertise can help guide you toward the most appealing color choices to suit your space.
The Scale
When designing an outdoor space with exterior lighting fixtures, you want to scale the lights to the installation area. A small back porch can be easily overwhelmed when selecting an oversized hanging fixture.
Lights will enhance the area where you place them when designed appropriately. Using your door as a guide is recommended. The fixture should be roughly a third of the door height for a single light.
A double entry can benefit from slightly larger lights, but a single entry with lights on either side of the door should measure approximately ¼ of the door height.
Showcasing a large, covered patio with ceiling fan lights is not only appealing but can also serve dual functions. Guests can be entertained on balmy evenings as cool air circulates and a warm glow highlights the space on a patio with an outdoor kitchen.
First and foremost is function and efficiency when lighting a space, the fixtures should have a purpose. While not readily noticed, smaller lights give just the right amount of illumination to keep homeowners and guests safe.
The Manufacturer
While it’s a great idea to mix and match your fixtures, selecting these pieces from the same manufacturer or brand is recommended. Many specialty retailers carry a distinct brand from which you can choose varied styles, unique textures, and a vast range of finishes.
These shops have professional associates ready to address questions and concerns for the most informed and more straightforward decision-making. When shopping from the same line, the design choices are complimentary and consistent but come in varying sizes.
You can still mix these up with different finishes and varied textures; however, you want to be careful to avoid pairing two distinct styles, such as a traditional front entry chandelier with an ultra-modern and contemporary lamp post. Go here for tips on choosing the most suitable exterior lights for your home.
Final Thought
Exterior light fixtures are a substantial upfront investment. They should not only reflect your personality and style but also serve specific needs, purposes, and preferences.
Function and efficiency should be prioritized when comparing an array of options. You want to avoid the need to redo the design when your choices don’t work the way you expected.
The first step in selecting the best outdoor lighting fixtures is determining their use and then deciding if they suit your home’s aesthetic and appeal to your personal tastes.