Halloween is upon us, and as October transitions into November, we come ever closer to Thanksgiving and, of course, Christmas. You’re no doubt already thinking of all the ways you can capture the holiday spirit inside your home, but what about the exterior? How do you plan to show off your beautiful home and the landscaping which surrounds it?
When I think of Christmas, I don’t think about homes lined with icicle lights and yards adorned with an inflatable Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Instead, I think of classic Norman Rockwell paintings of homes. Families can be seen opening presents through the ice lined windows, smoke churns gently from the chimney, the snow around the home is warmly lit in hues of blue and white — that’s the look we’re going to show you how to get with the help of vintage outdoor lighting fixtures in this simple guide.
How to Effectively Use the Best Outdoor Lighting Fixtures Year Round
- Bury the Wiring Deep Enough
- Use the Correct Lighting Temperatures for the Season
- Vary the Type of Fixtures Used for True Style
The first step to setting up the perfect winter wonderland outside your home is properly installing your favorite outdoor sconce lighting fixtures. For the popular home improvement magazine This Old House, making sure to bury your wires at the proper depth is the most essential step. You need to make sure that the wires are no more and no less than three inches below the surface of your yard. If you bury them too deep, you’ll have a hard time fixing them, should something go wrong. On the other hand, if you keep them too shallow, there’s a good chance you’ll damage them when shoveling or snow blowing.
Using the right temperature of light in your vintage outdoor lighting fixtures is essential to getting that perfect Rockwellian look. Using red and green bulbs, for example, might seem perfectly traditional and festive, but they will only serve the purpose of making your home look tacky. If you really want to capture that classic aesthetic, you should really go with white light. White light takes on a blueish hue in the snow. As day turns to dusk, your home will quickly transform into an ice palace with the help of white light.
As Better Homes and Gardens details, if you really want your home to look stylish for the winter season, you need to vary the types of lighting fixtures you use. Street light posts can help you paint your home in the image of a Victorian winterscape, while the right vintage outdoor lighting fixtures — if used properly — can give your house the look of a snow covered cabin in the woods. Don’t be afraid to go a little crazy with your lighting choices — that is so long as you stay away from inflatable Christmas characters.
What are some of the things you do to keep your home looking great through the colder seasons? Let us know in the comments below. More info like this.
