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3 Quick & Easy Holiday Lighting Tips
The holiday season is a wonderful time to experiment with your lighting from lighting up your entryway to creating a warm and welcoming mood inside your home.
Below are three quick-and-easy holiday light tips to try out this season.
1. Warm up your lighting. There’s a reason why we gravitate towards candlelight dinners the cozy flame adds warmth and a dose of love/romance. The same is true with the bulbs you select. Choosing bulbs with warmer color temperatures will add to that cozy, inviting atmosphere you’re trying to create.
- Pro Tip: You can easily retrofit existing fixtures with Warm Dim LED Bulbs. These bulbs give off a rich amber glow as they dim (similar to incandescent lighting). You can prep for guests in full light and dim down for a warm, comfy vibe once guests arrive.
2. Create a welcoming entryway. A well-lit front door is like an invitation to enter. It says, “Welcome. We’re glad you’re here. Come on in.”
And we’re not just talking the exterior entry, but also the entryway as you face it from the inside. Adding some holiday flourishes around the entryway think garland, twinkling lights, and so forth is a great way to say hello and goodbye as people come and go.
- Pro Tip: For an easy upgrade, try a bare-filament lamp in your exterior sconces for additional warm, inviting tones. Lighting controls such as timers, daylight sensors, or even smartphone lighting apps can automatically activate entryway lighting upon your guests’ arrival or simply remain on for set periods so that you don’t have to think about it. Check out other elegant outdoor lighting options from one of our favorites, Hubbardton Forge.
3. Think in terms of security. OK, so the topic of security might not be as fun as lighting up your kitchen or front door, but it’s important, especially this time of year. Remember, it’s getting darker earlier and you’re probably seeing more foot traffic, thanks to family and guests coming and going.
Make sure your current outdoor floodlights are working properly. Now’s the time to replace burned out bulbs not AFTER a mishap. Consider adding a motion sensor or timer to your current floodlights and using LED bulbs in your existing fixtures.
LED’s solid-state construction (no filaments) and the fact that LEDs often use acrylic diffusers and shields (as opposed to a glass bulb) means you can find hardier LED lamps that can withstand wind, rain, and cold temperatures. (Make sure to look for wet-rated bulbs).
- Pro Tip: Upgrade to LED fixtures. Low-wattage, long-life fixtures can be ideal for outdoor security lighting (fewer bulbs that you’ll need to change). Many of today’s fixtures come in durable finishes that will complement your home’s exterior and still work with your existing daylight or motion sensors. Learn more outdoor tips, including landscape lighting ideas and exterior lighting that will improve your home’s value.
Do you have a holiday lighting tip? We want to hear it! Share in the comments section below.
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