In Santa Barbara, many of us have small garden spaces enclosed by delightful stucco walls or solid fencing that creates a sense of privacy while enhancing out outdoor spaces.  So, enter the need to light up these vertical surfaces at night.   Fortunately, there are a number of ways to do this that fit all styles and budgets.

Most outside wall lights fall into two mounting categories.  Knowing where you want to put light—whether washed down on the wall surface or extended to light a pathway below—will largely drive what kind of installation you pick for your outdoor wall lighting.

1. Wall Lantern: While wall lanterns offer a traditional look, they come in a variety of looks and can enhance almost any style of architecture.  Typically used for outdoor accent lighting, they do offer some security—particularly if they can be turned on whether manually or by sensor—when someone approaches the home.  Wall lanterns are considered to be a semi-flush mount fixture, attaching to a wall or column with a base plate and extending outward on an arm.
2. Sconce: A sconce, on the other hand, is usually fully flush mounted, with its fixture secured entirely to a base attached to the vertical surface.  These offer a wide range of styles as well, and their use is rather similar that of wall lantern, offering a welcoming aesthetic as they flank a front doorway or adorn columns along a front porch.
3. Bulkhead light: Industrial in look (think frosted fixture encased in a simple cage), a bulkhead light is sleek and modern, offering a sense of strength and utility where you need it most.  While bulkheads might be suitable as an accent light on the home’s exterior, they are often used in more active spaces, such as where children play and outdoor lighting needs to be safe from errant baseballs.
4. Spotlights: Often thought of as a fixture out in the yard used to light up the building from the ground plane, spotlights mounted to a wall can be useful in illuminating stairs, back doors, or as a wash down a wall.  In fact, lighting a wall in this way creates an opportunity to highlight a unique landscape feature, allowing the feature to stand in silhouette against the wall at night.

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There are 2 reasons most clients contact us: to bring drive-up appeal to their home or to replace their current gardener. We take these two reasons to heart. We understand how important your landscape is to you. We are experts on drive-up appeal, water conservation landscaping, seasonal and climate planting, irrigation, and much more.

Wall lights are available in a variety of styles as well as lighting types.  Consider solar for the ultimate in eco-friendly lighting, and be sure to invest in a light that points downward or is equipped with cutoffs to limit night pollution that affects the night sky.  LED lights are a great option for lower lighting and energy efficient lighting needs, too, while installing outdoor wall lights with motion sensors ensure that the lights only light up when needed.

And if design or installation of outdoor/outside wall lights aren’t your forte, you can always call on a local landscape professional who can help you with everything from product selection to turning them on for the first time.