Collection: Outdoor Wall Lights

First Impressions at the Front Door

Scale is where most entry sconces go wrong. Too small reads as an afterthought; too large reads as a hotel. These three offer real size ranges so you can match the door.

• Crittenden Outdoor Wall Light by Generation Lighting: An all-aluminum mid-century cone in Black or Satin Aluminum, offered at 8", 10", or 13" wide, directing light strictly downward to meet Dark Sky guidelines. Wet rated, Title 24 compliant, sold with or without a 9W LED lamp at 800 lumens and 90 CRI. Mood: the quiet, correct choice.
• Shelter Outdoor Wall Light by Hinkley: Minimalist aluminum with clear seedy glass in Black, Hematite, or Buckeye Bronze, in seven shade types spanning 12" to 23.25" tall. Dark Sky compliant as standard, with ADA-compliant half-round options and wet rating throughout. Mood: light grazing through glass.
• Cambridge Outdoor LED Wall Light by Modern Forms: A slim glowing lantern in aluminum, acrylic, and glass at 11", 18", or 25" tall, integrated LED at 90 CRI and 3000K, dimming to 5 percent on ELV or TRIAC. Wet rated with IP65 sealing, ADA compliant, Dark Sky. Mood: a column of soft light.

The Dark-Sky Neighbors

Uplight is light you paid for that went to the sky. These three send it where it belongs, which your neighbors and the local owls will both appreciate.

• Pitch Single Outdoor LED Wall Light by Visual Comfort Modern: Sean Lavin's angular die-cast profile in Black, Bronze, Charcoal, or Silver, at 5", 12", or 19" tall, mountable as a downlight or flipped to uplight. ELV dimming, wet rated with IP65, ADA, Title 24 compliant, and Dark Sky Compliant. Mood: roofline geometry, reduced.
• Silo Outdoor Down Wall Light by Hinkley: A compact 8" composite cylinder from the Coastal Elements line in Architectural Bronze, Black, or Satin White, engineered against rust and corrosion. Downlight only for Dark Sky compliance, 500 lumens at 3000K with the GU10 lamp included, wet rated. Mood: coastal, and built to stay that way.
• Pineview Slope Outdoor Wall Light by The Great Outdoors: An aluminum cylinder cut on a diagonal at 5" wide by 12.5" tall, with a gold-finished interior that warms the beam on its way down. Wet rated and Dark Sky Compliant. Mood: one confident angle.

Lanterns, Reconsidered

The coach light survived two centuries because the shape works. These three keep the silhouette and drop the fussiness.

• Alford Outdoor Wall Light by Hinkley: A pared-back aluminum and glass lantern in Museum Black or Oil Rubbed Bronze, across five sizes from 11.25" to a commanding 24" tall, taking one to four candelabra lamps. Dimmable and wet rated. Mood: tradition without the filigree.
• Brentwood Outdoor Wall Light by Alora Mood: A boxy aluminum and steel frame around clear glass, 12.38" or 17.63" tall with an 8.88" projection, ELV and TRIAC compatible. cULus wet rated with a five-year warranty. Mood: architectural, edited.
• Fresno Framed Outdoor Wall Light by Visual Comfort Signature: Chapman and Myers in metal and clear glass panels, four sizes from 10.5" to a monumental 29.75" tall, framing a visible classic bulb. Mood: village lamplight, elevated.

Mounting Height and Sizing Guide

Two numbers do the work: fixture height relative to door height, and center height off the finished floor.

The proportion rule: a sconce should be roughly one quarter to one third the height of the door it flanks. A 6'8" door wants a fixture near 20 to 26 inches only if it is the sole fixture; flanking pairs go smaller, near 11 to 14 inches each.

Center height: 66 inches above the finished floor is the default, which puts the light source near eye level for most adults. Raise it slightly on tall entries so the fixture does not read as sagging.

One or two: Flank the door with a pair when you have at least 12 inches of clear wall on each side. Otherwise, mount a single fixture on the handle side, roughly 8 to 12 inches out from the casing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Dark Sky compliance mean less usable light?

No, it means better-aimed light. A shielded fixture puts the same lumens on the walkway instead of scattering them sideways into your eyes and upward into the sky. In practice a Dark Sky sconce often feels brighter underfoot than an unshielded one at the same wattage.

Should the entry sconce match the garage lights?

Match the finish and the family, not necessarily the size. Garage doors are wider and further from the eye, so those fixtures can go one size up. Several fixtures here offer three to five sizes in a single collection specifically to make that work.

Wet rating or damp rating for a front door?

Wet, unless the entry sits deep under a covered porch. Every fixture on this page is wet rated, which is the right default for exterior walls in San Francisco fog and wind-driven rain.