Doorway lighting

Most houses already have one or two fixtures mounted beside the front door. Many homeowners put uncomfortably bright bulbs inside these fixtures, thinking that more light is better. It really just creates more glare and causes the decorative fixtures to take over visually. Instead, install 25W or 40W bulbs to illuminate entryways while minimizing harsh glare and shadows. LED bulbs are now available in traditional shapes, including flame tip. You can get the light output of the 25W to 40W bulb, while only consuming 4W to 6W worth of power. They also last 25,000 hours, as compared to a traditional incandescent bulb, which has a life of 750-2,000 hours. There are even LED bulbs that create the effect of gas flame. Note that they look best in lanterns that have clear or seeded glass. If you put them in a fixture with frosted glass, it just looks like the lantern is having a seizure.

Should you be adding or replacing doorway fixtures, don`t be afraid to [buy big." Fixtures that seem substantial in the store often look too small when actually installed on your house. Consider borrowing a couple of samples from your local lighting store in two different sizes to see which one looks right from the street. It`s best if you have someone holding up the light fixture up against the house while you go out into the street. You really need to get far enough away to get a good sense of how the scale of the fixture relates to the façade of the house.