Rustic outdoor lights can establish your home's exterior as a comfortable and practical space. Between rustic outdoor chandeliers, pendant lights, walls sconces, post lights, and landscape lights, there are plenty of ways to incorporate these rustic lights outside your home. In order to gain inspiration and direction, we have created a list of our best rustic outdoor lighting ideas along with guidelines on how and where to use lights to achieve maximum results.
If your outdoor setting is already very rustic or country style, then you may want to use more modern lighting fixtures to bridge the gap into more contemporary design. These pendant lights, while more modern, can complement rustic outdoor settings with their lights and accenting.
Not only are the lighting fixtures themselves important, but so are how and where they are placed. In this outdoor patio, a central chandelier provides plenty of light (and a natural focal point) for the seating area. The two wall sconces similarly frame the space, but they also provide essential safety lighting by the door and to the sides of the home. When considering lights, it is vital to place them where they are needed aesthetically and practically.
Country style outdoor wall lights are aptly suited to illuminate garages and nearby pathways. By placing the lights above or beside the garage doors, you can complement the architectural style of the area and ensure that there is plenty of light for walking from the garage/driveway to the front door.
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Rustic wall sconces often frame doorways, windows, or walls, but you may also place your wall sconces to suit whatever outdoor space you have. Outside this rustic cottage, two wall sconces are placed to cast light on the nearby gardening table. Not only does this provide ample task lighting, but it also sets the space apart visually.
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Although the lantern wall sconce and the landscape lights shown here are not from the same designer or collection, these lights still collaborate well with one another. The two main elements that connect the lights are the use of the same matte black finish and the shared lighting temperature. Blending two different types and styles of lighting fixtures like the ones shown here is a great way to branch out and create a more modern rustic design.
Lantern wall sconces and chandeliers are considered to be timeless thanks to the versatility and the diversity of their designs. The lights shown here are a perfect blend of modern and rustic aesthetics with the streamlined framing, clean black, and the rustic glass around the lights. You will find many lantern lights can be tailored to suit different levels of rustic design outside your home.
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When designing any space, it is important to look at your home's unique features as opposed to copying anything from a magazine or website. For example, this home features very tall architectural walls outside the front door, which means that more narrow/tall wall sconces suit this space best. Be sure to consider your home's unique architectural features and what what shape/size lights will best accommodate your home.
Placing a rustic outdoor pendant or chandelier directly over your outdoor dining set is a great way to ensure that you and your guests can enjoy an ambient summer meal. While some rustic lights are more tailored to provide general lighting, you can find others that cast lights downward to ensure that everything on the table is properly lit. This is especially important if you are adding a country style outdoor lighting fixture to a grill or outdoor kitchen space.
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As a general principle, it's best to have your outdoor lights convey a similar tone with their shapes, materials, and designs. One way to accomplish this goal is to use the same type of light (such as a lantern light) across multiple spaces and in multiple ways. Here, the light is displayed on a post, as a pendant light, and as a wall sconce. That consistency helps unify the entire home's design.
When you picture country style outdoor wall lights, you likely envision something more ornate or with an enclosure. However, rustic outdoor wall lights expand far beyond these conventions and can complement rustic styles even if the lights themselves are more modern or eclectic. Allow this home to serve as an inspiration of how different lighting fixtures can suit rustic homes and bring in other beloved styles.
Even if you are simply looking for wall sconces by the front door or at another location, it is vital to consider the lighting scheme for your entire home's exterior. Landscape lighting like what is shown here can help define the tone of the entire home by highlighting the home's architecture, building materials, and natural character at dusk or later.
Even though this style rose to popularity in the late 2000's, modern farmhouse style is still beloved today. This style uses stark black and white to create visual contrast and exude modern class. Your rustic outdoor lights can highlight a black or white color depending on how the light complements your home's exterior.
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While most outdoor rustic lights use dark metals like iron, there are other metals to choose from. The Orion light from Northeast Lantern comes in two finishes: antique brass and dark brass. In this case, the lighter antique brass finish complements the warm countryside style of this home and creates a softer design statement.
Whether a light is rustic or not can come down to the materials that the light uses. For example, this rustic chandelier from Alford Place features aged glass, which helps solidify the light's tone and aesthetic. Although this detail may be small, it has a dramatic impact on the light's overarching style.
Iron is a material commonly associated with rustic style, especially if the material is aged or distressed in some way. With that being said, even iron chandeliers and outdoor lights can convey a stylish modern tone depending on their design and unique use of the material.
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It is highly common to place wall sconces on either side of an entryway or gate. While you may scoff at traditional layouts like this, there are plenty of reasons why this layout is so popular. Aside from framing out the doorway and highlighting the path, this layout can create a symmetrical design that feels balanced and comfortable.
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On the surface, rustic and modern styles may seem like polar opposites. However, these two aesthetics actually complement one another quite well. Where modern style may feel simple and sleek, rustic lighting fixtures can instantly create a more homey tone to balance any modern features.
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Ceiling fans don't have to be eyesores. In actuality, modern outdoor ceiling fans are designed for both form and function with different blade layouts, finishes, and overall design details. Because of that, you can find a rustic ceiling fan that sets the proper tone, has ample lighting capabilities, and makes your space more comfortable.
Rustic outdoor lighting is full of potential. With the various places to set lights, the different options for lights, and the many ways to combine lighting fixtures over a common space, you can easily create your own lighting scheme to suit your home. The general rustic outdoor lighting ideas and more specific sections on rustic porch light ideas, landscape lighting ideas, and others can serve as inspiration and guidance on how to illuminate your home and create your ideal outdoor settings.
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