25 Fantastic Front Porch Lighting Ideas

Selecting light fixtures for the front porch is a finishing touch that will enhance your home’s curb appeal while making your home more welcoming and safe once the sun goes down.

Porch light can include warm, ambient light that makes outdoor spaces feel cozy and comfortable after dark as well as cooler bright lighting that keeps your home entry well lit and safe.

From sconces to pendant lighting to integrated ceiling lights and more, check out these front porch lighting ideas in a range of settings and styles.

Hang a Stylish Sconce

Pin @cottageandsea / Instagram

A single sconce is a great choice for those who crave a perfectly asymmetrical look.

If you’re feeling artful, opt for one with a bit of intrigue to it, whether in terms of shape or color.

Not sure where to begin?

Consider playing off the shade of your front door or window shades, for example.

Spread the Light

Pin @lemonleafhomeinteriors / Instagram

You may wish to spread sconces out throughout the length of your front porch.

This ensures that everyone can enjoy ample light while spending time outside during the evening hours.

Here, a single sconce illuminates a small nook that’s outfitted with welcoming Adirondack chairs.

Flank the Doors

Pin @lemonleafhomeinteriors / Instagram

Many people will opt for two sconces flanking the door for a clean, symmetrical look.

What’s great about this option is that it’s compatible with a wide range of exterior styles, whether your home is a colonial, craftsman, Victorian, or something else entirely.

Keep it Simple

Pin @kirsten.diane / Instagram

Alternatively, a simple pendant light on its own may be enough.

Here, a modern pendant light makes a bold statement and contrasts against this home’s white brick exterior beautifully.

Hang a Pendant Light

Pin @lemonleafhomeinteriors / Instagram

Those with a covered entryway may also wish to hang a pendant light in addition to sconces on both sides of the front door.

Light the Way

Pin Kate Marker Interiors

A single sconce hangs above an ornate plaque detailing the history of this home, which dates back to 1860.

Hanging the sconce here is a great way to draw visitors’ attention to this cool fact, too.

You could also install your sconce over your house numbers if you have those hanging in a similar location.

Make It Decorative

Pin Mary Patton Design

Beautiful lanterns make a classic statement outside this stately white brick home.

Add Contrast

Pin 

Jeanne Canto for Calimia Home

While this home is more traditional in style, modern black sconces provide a fun juxtaposition to the exterior.

Make It Glow

Pin Evens Architects

A row of pendant lights illuminates this expansive porch, which doubles as a beautiful outdoor dining spot.

The pendants, combined with candles and a fireplace, cast a romantic glow.

Try a Flush Mount

Pin Evens Architects

A flush mount ceiling light is sleek and practical in this outdoor gathering space.

Sizable outdoor furniture instantly turns the front porch into a second living room of sorts, making it easy for friends and family to gather on warm weather days without even having to step foot indoors.

Go Oversized

Pin 

Jeff Roberts Imaging for Nicola’s Home

When designing this home, Nicola Mangenello had her eye on something a little bit off the beaten path.

“The light fixtures I selected for this porch are by Bevolo and the style is French Quarter Yoke Drop,” she says.

“It’s a wonderful fixture because it can be either electric or gas. I chose them for the non-traditional way that they hang.

Considering the oversized scale of the home’s columns, I felt the porch needed a larger fixture to balance them out.”

Light the Path

Pin Margaret Rajic for Elizabeth Drake

“Create an inviting front porch with decorative lighting that provides an illuminated path up to the front door,” designer Elizabeth Drake encourages.

“This lantern with a glass top was selected for highlighting the blue ceiling feature, and its corresponding wall sconces at the door.

I extended the home’s color palette of blue and silver onto the porch with a black accent front door.”

Hang String Lights

Pin @_chrissmithphotography_ for @mikestevenshomes / Instagram

This wraparound porch features string lights for an extra dose of brightness.

If your porch offers wooden beams like this, wrapping lights around them can be a great way to make the space feel even more welcoming and illuminated when entertaining at night.

Hang a Ceiling Fan Light

Pin @blessedlittlebungalow / Instagram

A fan is a must for hot summer days on the front porch.

Opt for a fixture that also features lighting so that you can continue to enjoy the fan’s benefits at night, too.

Choose Clean Lines

Pin @bytheolivetreehome / Instagram

This metal sconce—and the pendant that is a larger mirror of it—is perfect for the minimalist entryway.

Make a Statement

Pin Ashley Webb Interiors

You will certainly want to choose an overhead fixture that is proportional to your entryway ceiling height.

The taller it is, the more dramatic you can go when it comes to pendant lights. this one features a long chain that makes a sophisticated statement.

Keep It Straightforward

Pin Britt Design Studio

This Hamptons style home features a simple pendant light that allows the detailed window moldings to really shine and become the focal point.

Choose a Decorative Bulb

Pin COTTAGE + SEA

A modern pendant light with a beautiful rounded bulb doubles as art on this front porch.

Choose Globe Lighting

Pin Tyler Karu

Globe-shaped sconces add modernity and style to this front porch.

The colors play to the home wonderfully, drawing from the white paneling as well as the black front door and window panes.

Maintain Symmetry

Pin Tyler Karu

Lanterns sconces look lovely outside this colonial style home, while plants on either side of the entryway keep the symmetrical look going.

Stay Traditional

Pin White Sands Design Build

Lantern style sconces remind us of simpler times when entryways were truly lit by candlelight.

As the above image shows, this style of fixture doesn’t have to be reserved for colonial style houses by any means.

Incorporate Recessed Lighting

Pin White Sands Design Build

Recessed lighting illuminates the entryway to this coastal style home, which, with its multiple porch areas, is extremely well equipped for outdoor entertaining.

Go Modern

Pin Whittney Parkinson Design

An ultra-modern outdoor sconce illuminates this home’s entryway and complements its sleek window style at the same time.

Keep It Front and Center

Pin Whittney Parkinson Design

This Arts and Crafts style home features a simple pendant in the entryway, allowing the stone exterior to really be the statement maker as one walks up to the front door.

Add a Pop of Copper

Pin Maite Granda

Copper is a popular finish when it comes to outdoor lanterns; the ones above pop against the home’s white exterior.