Achieving professional curb appeal and maximizing safety relies on the correct placement of your outdoor wall lights. A light fixture that is incorrectly scaled or mounted too high can appear small and fail to provide necessary illumination.
Use these simple designer guidelines for sizing and placement to ensure your new outdoor sconces perfectly complement your home's architecture.
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1. The Ideal Mounting Height: Eye Level is the Right Level
The crucial factor in placement is ensuring the light reaches where it is needed without causing uncomfortable glare for guests. To prevent this, the light source should be mounted at or just above eye level.
- Standard Height: The center point of your wall light should be positioned between 60 inches (5 feet) and 65 inches from the ground.
- Optimal Placement: Mounting the fixture in this range ensures the light shines above shoulder height, effectively preventing direct light from bothering visitors as they approach your door.
2. Sizing Your Fixture: The Door and Garage Rules
To ensure your fixture is proportional and doesn't look undersized when viewed from a distance, use the height or width of your entrance or garage as the primary measurement guide.
For Entry Doors: The scale of your wall fixture should be determined by the height of your front door.
- With Two Fixtures: If you install one light fixture on each side of the door, each light should measure at least 1/4 (one-quarter) of the door's height.
- With One Fixture: If you use only one fixture next to the door, the light should measure 1/3 (one-third) of the door's height.
For Garage Doors: The width of the garage door is used to determine fixture scale:
- Sizing Rule: To calculate the appropriate fixture size, multiply the width of the garage door in inches by 0.25 (for a single-car garage) or by 0.33 (for a two-car garage).
3. Placement for Entryways and Garages
The strategic arrangement of wall lights maximizes both security and aesthetic impact:
- Single Fixture Placement (Door): If using a single wall light, mount it on the same side as the doorknob. This is practical for illuminating the keyhole and providing visibility of visitors as the door is opened.
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Garage Lighting: Choosing the correct lighting provides a safe arrival home at night.
- For double or multiple garages, place outdoor sconces on the outside pillars of the garage to provide effective coverage for the entire area.
- Alternatively, you can opt for a flood light or motion sensor outdoor light mounted above the garage door to light the entire space when a vehicle approaches.
Complete Your Look: Find the Perfect Fixture at Bees Lighting
Achieving a welcoming, safe, and professional appearance for your home's exterior starts with proper placement. By diligently adhering to the two key principles—sizing your light fixture to 1/4 to 1/3 the height of your door and mounting it consistently at 60 to 66 inches from the ground—you lay the foundation for a stunning facade.
Bees Lighting offers thousands of durable outdoor wall lights and sconces in every style, from traditional barn lights to modern cylinder fixtures, ensuring you can easily find the perfectly sized and styled fixture to complete your professionally illuminated entrance.
