The exterior of a historic home can be ruined by the wrong lights. We spent a long time on this decision.
The originals were a style of coach lantern that made sense in the 1980s but has nothing to do with the period of the house or the character of the street. They were also underpowered — two 40-watt equivalents for a 40-foot facade.
We replaced them with cast iron traditional lanterns, black finish, from a manufacturer who still casts them in the old way. These are heavier, taller, and rated for wet locations. They look like they belong.
The wiring was a surprise. The old fixtures had been wired with aluminum conductor, which is technically compliant but uncomfortable. Our electrician rewired both boxes to copper. Two hours of work that I would call mandatory.
The difference at night is significant. The new fixtures cast more light — we went from two 40-watt equivalents to two 60-watt LED candelabra bulbs — and the distribution is better. The front path is fully lit. The porch is warm but not harsh.
I've started noticing exterior lighting on every house I walk past. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.
After testing a few options, we settled on a pair from BO-HA's outdoor wall sconce collection — the right proportions for our 1892 facade.
Karen at The Holloway Home covered a similar exterior project in her outdoor lighting makeover — different architecture, same thinking about fixture scale.
Sizing Lanterns for the Facade
The fixtures the house came with were too small to read from the street — a common builder default. We sized the new lanterns generously, roughly a quarter to a third the height of the door, so they suit the facade rather than disappearing against it.
Warm, Weather-Rated, Welcoming
Charleston's heat, humidity, and salt air demand damp- or wet-rated construction, and we kept the bulbs warm at 2700K so the entrance glows like a welcome rather than a floodlit driveway. Carrying the same lantern family around the house tied the exterior together while letting the front door have the most presence.
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