Learn how to enhance your home with outdoor lighting tips and tricks. From inexpensive string lights to higher end copper lanterns, there’s an idea to work for every home and every budget!

copper lanterns - timeless and beautiful outdoor lighting that only looks prettier with time

One of our priorities when we purchased our current home was to have a large, flat driveway. We succeeded! In fact, we joke that we have an airport landing strip with our double circle drive and another that leads to the garage doors.

While I don’t love asphalt, it is perfect for this season of our lives. We spend countless hours on our driveway watching the girls use the runway/race track with their bicycles, tricycles and scooters.

Psst… check out this post with 10 easy steps to create an outdoor living room and garden stools if you love your outdoor spaces as much as we do! Or learn about Pergolas to create the outdoor space of your dreams!

Outdoor Lighting Ideas

I wanted to pull into the driveway and feel a sense of peace, so we used outdoor lighting and seating to add charm and function to our driveway.

First, a before and during. I didn’t think to take a photograph of the side of the house before we painted it, but you get the idea!

before-light

After:

Beautiful outdoor lighting, perfect between garages or to frame a front door

All of the garages in our neighborhood are on either side of the home. Our garage is the first thing you see when you turn the bend on the street approaching our home.

Let’s face it, garages and driveways can be boring. We opted to replace our garage doors with basic doors rather than carriage doors to save on cost and painted them the same color as our house.

All I could see when we pulled into the drive was old, dated black light fixtures which only seemed to highlight the blacktop.

Beautiful outdoor lighting, perfect between garages or to frame a front door
Beautiful outdoor lighting, perfect between garages or to frame a front door

We selected custom Copper Wall Lanterns to make our garages more of a feature than an eyesore, placing them between each door. Natural metals are timeless and I just love the details of these!

I used candle light bulbs to mimic gas lanterns encompassed in a hurricane. The new lanterns draw your eyes up away from the asphalt. It’s almost like they’re calling me home!

outdoor decorating ideas - garage design
outdoor decorating ideas - garage design
Simple garage makeover

I also added planters between the garage doors to compliment our home and filled them with gardenia topiaries, distracting from the drive.

It makes the area feel more like a relaxing patio, especially when paired with weathered wood chairs for Chris and I to enjoy a glass of wine while the girls play.

home design | outdoor decorating ideas to minimize eyesores and highlight features
outdoor decorating ideas - garage design
outdoor living - outdoor decorating ideas

Day and night, our new outdoor lighting has transformed the side of our home and adds so much ambience! It’s amazing what a little lighting can do.

You may recall that we also used these fixtures on our deck and created a similar, but larger style for our front porch. It’s fun to watch them weather over time and add character to our home.

outdoor living - outdoor decorating ideas
outdoor living - outdoor decorating ideas
traditional outdoor lighting - copper lanterns
Beautiful outdoor lighting, perfect between garages or to frame a front door
Simple garage makeover

More Lighting Inspiration

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30 Comments

  1. Hi Julie –

    What a nice update, the copper will only get better looking with age. Love the molding on each garage door. It is a nice touch. It all looks so welcoming.

  2. What a gorgeous transformation! I love the light and airy paint color, light fixtures…..well, I love it all!

  3. So so pretty, Julie! I love it!! (Can you come decorate my house for me? Kidding…not kidding! 🙂 )

  4. What a difference lighting can make! Gorgeous finish on the lights, the copper adds a warmth to the glow. I love how enticing and inviting they are, and along with the paint and the planters, they truly make a beautiful first impression!