The front of your house is an important place. It’s the first thing your guests and neighbors see. Lighting is a crucial element of your home, and the choices can be overwhelming. Checking out outdoor lighting ideas for the front of your house can help you get a good idea of what will work for you.

There are plenty of options out there, no matter your style or budget. If you’re feeling lost, we’ve put together a list of the best lighting ideas for the front of your house, from the garage to path lights. Let’s get started.

Why Should I have Front Lighting?

Lighting the front of your house is important for several reasons other than you don’t want to be the creepy house on the block.

It’s an Added Layer of Safety

Landscape lighting can double as security lighting. For example, flood lights and path lights will not only illuminate your house but also your yard. This can deter intruders from getting close since they’ll be easily seen.

Improved Curb Appeal

Outdoor house lights will also improve curb appeal. Think about when you drive through a neighborhood and how nice and cozy it feels when the houses are lit up. Your house will look warm and inviting. Well-designed outdoor lighting could also increase your home value when it’s time to sell.

Outdoor Lights Accentuate Architectural Features

When you’re planning outdoor lighting ideas for the front of your house, it can be designed to accentuate architectural features. If you’ve designed your home yourself, this is the perfect time to show off all the hard work you’ve put into it at any time of day.

How Do You Install Outdoor Landscape Lights?

To answer this question, you have to decide what areas you’ll be lighting. The team at Jellyfish Lighting is always here to answer your questions and give you guidance. We also have installation professionals ready to install lighting that may be above DIY level skill.

What Should You Look For in Landscape Lighting?

As you begin your search for outdoor lighting fixtures, there are criteria you should be looking for, including:

Adjustable Lumens

Most modern lighting will have this feature. Lighting fixtures should have an adjustable lumen outlet so you can control the brightness. That way, you can ensure the lighting in your outdoor space isn’t too bright if you have them on at dusk as opposed to overnight.

Outdoor Use Bulbs

Typically, landscape lighting will automatically have outdoor bulbs. To be sure, check the packaging. Most lighting will say whether it’s intended for indoor or outdoor use. This is especially important if you’re installing a porch ceiling fan or hanging lights. Choosing a light with an indoor bulb could result in damage.

Fixtures That Match Your Home

A common trend with landscape lighting is that people want it to look like it came with the house, no matter how new. If they are shiny while the rest of your house is rustic, they’ll stand out. Consider the fixture itself along with the bulb in lighting.

Best Areas for the front of your house Landscape Light

Front of house exterior lighting will vary depending on your house, style and budget. Before you start shopping for landscape lighting, you should always have a plan in place. The lighting should look good, but also be practical.

Paths and Walkways

Have you ever been to someone’s home and they don’t have outdoor lighting on their walkway? Walkways should be lit for the safety of you and anyone who visits your home. The last thing you want is to have someone trip on their way in for a party. A simple landscape lighting idea will usually include path lights.

Here are some landscape tips for installing path lights to the front walkway:

• Path lights should be about 10-15 feet apart

• Solar lights are a great choice for path lights, but you will need to put them closer together.

• Make sure your path lights are balanced, with them alternating on each side

• Purchasing path lights in a set will ensure that they’re all the same style and make sure it goes with the rest of your outdoor lighting ideas for the front of your house

Front Porch Light Ideas

The front porch is the best place to let your landscape lighting design shine. It’s also the area with the most DIY opportunity with outdoor string lights.

String lights and fairy lights are easy and perfect additions to your outdoor lighting design. Again, it’s important to make sure they still match the rest of your front lights and home decor.

You may also want to include a wall light near your front door for visitors. This can be a wall sconce or lantern that you add to your landscape lighting ideas.

Garden and Lawn

From floodlights to ground lights, there are plenty of options to illuminate your garden or lawn with landscape lighting.

Ground Lights

One type of lighting to consider when you’re planning outdoor lighting ideas for the front of your house are ground lights. Also known as well lights, outdoor light fixtures are installed in the ground, of course.

Ground lights can be used to brighten up your lawn or garden without sticking out. They are a subtle option that illuminates larger foliage such as shrubs and trees. You can also utilize ground lights for other features, as well. They’re usually LED lights that have timers to be programmed.

Flood Lights

Flood lights are great for illuminating a large space such as your lawn if you live in a dark neighborhood. The idea is that they are for added security. Think about how dark your lawn is at night. Can you see anything? You may want to consider flood lighting.

String Lights

If you have a garden area in front of your house, have fun with your landscape lighting. You can easily turn your garden into a whimsical place to walk through with fairy lights and other string lights. The good news is that if you have a smart home, controlling your lighting is easy to switch from security flood lights to pretty string lights.

Driveway and Garage

When it comes to lighting ideas for the driveway and garage, they should be safe and practical. Floodlights work well for lighting driveways for safety. Consider wall sconces on the sides of the garage door for added style and illumination. There are plenty of driveway lighting ideas out there to get inspiration from.

Spotlights are another option that are slightly different from floodlighting. This type of exterior lighting casts a narrow beam, so it will focus on one area. Keep in mind that spotlights are extremely bright, so they won’t be creating an ambience, and should be directed upward at what you want to illuminate, such as trees.

Roof Landscape Lighting

Roof lighting is an essential part of any the front of your house landscape lighting design plan. Without it, no one will be able to enjoy the beautiful architecture of your home. The type of roof lighting you choose will ultimately depend on the type of roof you have. Spotlights can be directed at parts of the roof to light it up and show off peaks and archways. You may also consider permanent Christmas lights from Jellyfish Lighting. We have plenty of ideas for Christmas lighting inspiration to give you an idea of what will work with the style of your home.

Jellyfish Lighting offers permanent Christmas lighting solutions that you can control from your phone to change the colors year-round. They’re a great addition to your outdoor lighting designs.

Other Tips for Landscape Lighting at the Front of the House

Part of creating landscape lighting ideas is to create a unique and eye-catching visual of your home. We know that many designs out there can look similar to your neighbors, and at JellyFish Lighting we want to help your home stand out.

Mix and Match

As you create your lighting designs for the front of your house, remember to mix and match. If you’re using the same landscape lighting throughout, there will be nothing unique about your design. That’s why JellyFish Lighting’s multicolored LED bulbs integrate with our mobile app, which lets you customize patterns for any occasion.

Use Different Light Bulb Temperatures

Our LEDs already have the option to change temperatures. We recommend experimenting with different light temperatures to see what works best for your landscape lighting.

Illuminate All of Your Fixtures

When you’re designing your outdoor lighting ideas for the front of your home, illuminate everything you can. Trees, architecture, statues in your garden, anything. Whatever you want to showcase, there’s a light for that.

How Can JellyFish Lighting Help?

Ready to get started on the front yard lighting of your dreams? JellyFish Lighting can help. Our team of professionals knows their way around a front yard, and are here to answer any questions you have.

We offer custom light patterns with over 102 presets and 16 million colors so you can keep your lighting design fresh year round. Once installed, you’ll be able to control the lighting easily right from our app. Contact Jellyfish Lighting today for a consultation.