An outdoor patio is a beautiful oasis where you can enjoy nearby scenery, landscaping, and socializing with loved ones. In order to create a patio that is both beautiful and practical, it is essential to consider what types of patio lights to use in the space. To guide you towards illuminating your patio, we've compiled 25 of our favorite outdoor patio lighting ideas and provided tips and tricks for using patio lights in your space.
Depending on the nature of your patio, you may need multiple lights to properly illuminate the space. Not all the lighting fixtures have to be the same type of style-- In fact, using a lighted ceiling fan in the same room as a chandelier or pendant light is an ideal way to set different spaces apart, provide essential lighting, and create airflow.
Mounted lights are often used to establish permanent styles and tones, but portable table and floor lamps have their own part in creating ambient and task lighting. Lights at lower levels cast light differently than permanently mounted lights, and depending on what you need at that moment, you can move the lights to highlight a smaller seating area or create a cozy reading spot. These portable fixtures are ideal for ambiance, tone, and flexible practicality on any patio.
Even patios with unique footprints and ceilings can benefit from outdoor patio ceiling lights. In this beautiful Moroccan oasis, the light is mounted on one of the few beams to provide essential lighting and ambiance for this scenic space. If your patio has an unconventional footprint, ceiling, or layout, don't be afraid to create a unique lighting scheme that suits your personal patio.
If your outdoor patio features a two-story ceiling, then you can complement the ceiling's height with a well placed chandelier. There is a lot of freedom in the chandelier's height, but one common principle is to have the chandelier occupy the top third of the space. In these cases, the chandelier is still close enough to the floor and furniture to serve as an accent but high enough to draw the eye upwards.
Additional Exterior Chandelier Ideas!
One great way to complement nearby architecture is to have a light that uses similar shapes and structures to those walls. For example, this elegant patio has arched walls to surround the seating and dining space. The lights mimic this architecture by creating a loose round arch in their placement and formation. Simple touches like these may go unnoticed, but incorporating them shows a masterful eye for design.
Sometimes, simple design is the best option for balancing the space. Limiting yourself to one central light over a table or seating area and not using any other overhead lights is a great way to create one definitive focal point. Other lights can be incorporated into the same area, but they should not compete with other fixtures, architecture, or furniture to draw attention away from that one hanging light.
One way to create a cohesive design is by connecting your lights finishes and structure to neary furniture and architecture. In this case, the pendant lights highlight rigid geometric shapes that are in line with the linear architecture, but the dark finish also works with the porches above them. Whatever architecture or furniture you have near your lights, look for opportunities to have your lights complement those elements.
Many outdoor patios have no walls or insulation to protect the space from rain, wind, and other weather elements. When you choose a light or fan for your outdoor patio, it is essential to consider the fixture's wet or damp rating to ensure that it can handle any moisture it may be be exposed to.
A patio earlier on the list featured both a fan and a chandelier, but there is no reason why two outdoor ceiling fans cannot be used in the same space. If they are used in a common area, then it it wise to use the same fan in both cases to ensure that they look like intentional stylish additions instead of one being an afterthought. Also, place your fans intentionally to create proper airflow and lighting, but be sure that they also balance visually with one another and the home's architecture to create a soothing outdoor patio.
Fans, especially fans with lights, are ideally suited to create comfortable outdoor dining spaces. However, the fan itself may not provide enough lighting for the area at large, which is why fans and other mounted ceiling lights are often paired with recessed lighting fixtures to create essential lighting.
Patios frequently highlight natural materials in their nearby walls, pillars, and ceilings. In these cases, the ceiling fan can tie back to one or all of the materials in those areas. This patio shows how the dark wood fan blades connect to the dark tones and the dark wood knots above it to create a dynamic style.
Wall sconces and wall lights are typically used in pairs, but they can work well as stand-alone lights as well. In this case, one light was sufficient for creating ambient seating and highlighting the architectural post. Consider your specific layout and lighting requirements when choosing how and where to incorporate lighting fixtures to determine if you should use one or more lights for the space.
Light your home's exterior with these Outdoor Wall Lighting Ideas!
Stair lights and other floor-level lights are ideally suited to create pathways to and from your patio. Although these lights are highly practical, they are also stylish as they come in many different shapes, sizes, and finishes to convey unique aesthetics. With that in mind, you will naturally be able to find lights that fit your specific space and direct light as needed.
Explore these Outdoor Stair and Deck Lighting Ideas!
Nature is full of different textures through plantlife, grass, leaves, and the architecture of the porch itself. With that, incorporating a light like Hinkley Lighting's Riverwood Outdoor Light is a great way to incorporate a light that has a textured appearance and harken back to the nearby woods.
More Porch Lighting Ideas!
Depending on your patio space, you may not have many spots where you want to put light fixtures. In order to illuminate that space properly, consider using reflective surfaces to reflect any lights that are in the space. This open patio strategically places the ceiling fan directly above a glass table, which enables the light to reflect off the table's surface and brighten the space. While this layout does not have to be perfectly replicated, it does present a great way to simply brighten the patio.
The temperature outside has a large impact on your patio's comfort, but there is another temperature to consider: lighting temperature. In short, lighting temperature describes the appearance of the light bulb. The bulb can convey warm, cool, or daylight tones to create various moods and aesthetics. To define your patio's tone, carefully choose a lighting temperature that reinforces the mood you want to create.
Lighting fixtures used in common areas should connect to one another through similar styles, finishes, and shapes. While the lights do not necessarily have to come from the same designer or collection, using pendant lights and wall sconces from the same collection can help you easily create a cohesive and consistent design.
When choosing lights of fans for your outdoor areas, consider how they look from various perspectives. From this perspective, the white fans in the upper patio shine against the wood ceiling and beams. Looking at your patio from multiple perspectives can help you choose fans or lights that look beautiful from anywhere on the property.
Creating symmetry in outdoor spaces is a natural way to accent outdoor seating or dining spaces. Whether the symmetry is created through two pendant lights like this patio or other lights, simple symmetry is a great way to create a more traditional, balanced style in any outdoor space.
Discover new Outdoor Lighting Ideas for Pergolas!
An oversized, low-hanging chandelier can create a dramatic outdoor dining space. In general, a light should hang at least 30-36 inches above the table to ensure that nothing on the table will touch the light. Low hanging chandeliers cannot typically be set over other areas unless it is specifically above furniture or away from a walking path to prevent anyone from bumping into it. Therefore, if you want a low-hanging light to be a focal point, try placing it above a dining area.
Linear lines are heavily prominent in this patio in the wall's panels, flooring, and ceiling. Even the furniture uses straight lines in the framing and cushioning. To add new dimension to the patio's design, this space uses Crystorama Glacier Outdoor Wall Lights that are shaped to form a crystal shape. Even with this different shape, the light works well in this room because it carries on the idea of geometric shapes and clean-cut lines being present in the design. Look for opportunities to expand upon any theming or motifs in your patio's design to create a well-rounded, thematically whole area.
Outdoor dining spaces are often accented by at least one light hovering over the center of the table. However, using two pendant lights instead of one is a great way to add additional light and spread it more equally across the entire table's surface. Plus, this setup shows off two lights instead of one to further develop the area's tone and aesthetic.
Modern metal chandeliers and pendant lights are frequently used in outdoor spaces because of their durability and transcendent style. Matte black finishes often showcase modern, transitional, and industrial fixtures, but these lights are versatile enough to work in many different patio styles. If you are struggling to define your style, try searching for a specific material or finish to help you define your unique aesthetic.
Contemporary lighting fixtures are typically designed to be their own work of art through their finishes, structure, and accents. These lights are incredibly versatile and diverse in their overarching styles, which means that they can work in seaside homes like this or a home in the mountains.
Patios are incredibly useful spaces that can convey any style under the sun. Because of that, patios can use many different chandeliers, pendant lights, wall sconces, and other outdoor lights in unique and stunning ways. With the guide we've provided for patio lighting ideas, you may now proceed with designing your own patio and using beautiful, practical lighting fixtures.
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