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Home Decorating

Show me your overhead porch lights!

10 years ago

Before we paint the exterior, I want to nix the big colonial brass (even if brass is coming back) wall-mounted lights, and install overhead lighting instead. I love the glow of entries that have overhead lights, instead of light shining. But it's hard to find pictures of porch ceilings, so I'm asking GWers.

The ceiling isn't high enough for a hanging lantern.

The porch is 36' wide, with a door at either end (each with its own walkway approach) and the kitchen windows in between. Do I go with 3-4 lights, or just one above each door? Are they completely recessed, or are they flush mount?

And finally, what do I do with the old installation? They are on painted cedar siding, so can the painter fill the holes in, or should we just replace them with smaller, more subtle, even frosted, wall lights?

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Comments (10)

jennybc
10 years ago
In our new build we did all can lights on dimmers. We can make the entire wrap around porch really bright or just glow like moon light. We love it! Sorry I don't have a pic.

Jen
lynninnewmexico
10 years ago
These are ours. There are three of them out on our front portal. Our builder found them for us in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. They give very adequate light and the patterns they throw out are so pretty in the evening. Hmmm, I can see that I need to get out the ladder and clean that glass (LOL)!
Lynn
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Hi boxerpups, I'm glad you like them. I do think they would look nice in your space. I love that they are pretty without being too overwhelming. They are nice and small... which I had a hard time finding something I liked (with the right price because we needed 5). Since we were putting them up in multiple, I didn't want something too big. They are a dark bronze, which I think blends nicely with our dark grayish/black counters. I'm sure you could spray paint them with a matte black if you wanted them to be a true black. Luckily at $19, you could test one. Here is photo of the pendants as they came originally... the original shades were a bit bigger in diameter. The clear glass shades I ended up swapping were also from Lowes for $3. If I remember correctly, they may have been in the section with the glass bathroom shades (on the same aisle as the rest of the lights at our Lowes).
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Lynn, we just added a few new rooms, and the living room has a ceiling fan with white lights. Our new sitting room is between the LR and dining room, the light isn't up yet, but this is the one I bought. I cannot wait until the painting if finished and installed! It's a bit on the feminine side though, but it's MY room. lol. Out of all the fixtures I bought the past few months, from the old 'school house" fixtures to a DR chandy, this is the one I will treasure the most. Oh, the ceiling in that room is 8'. Here is a link that might be useful: Sitting Room Light
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Comments (11)
Thanks everyone. loribee your rooms are gorgeous! I love seeing your chandy there and would like to think I could maybe still use one. I was also thinking if I had to take it down, I could maybe put it in the kitchen thought I sorta like what's in the kitchen now. I am really excited about the makeover. The living room is large so it looks much better suited to a dining room with cabinets all around.
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bpath
Original Author
10 years ago
Those lanterns are wowzers, Lynn, and I'd love to be able to say mine come from San Miguel de Allende, but it's a colonial in the Great Lakes, sadly not a match. But I wish!

Jennybc, I never though of a dimmer! So they're just can lights, outdoor rated? How far apart are they?
jackson2348
10 years ago
We have a can centered in each section of our porch. There are 5 sections. The center will have a gas lantern, but the ceilings are really high. Love the idea of a dimmer for the cans!
bpath
Original Author
10 years ago
Jackson, that is a lovely porch. What time for gin and tonics?
jennybc
10 years ago
Love the dimmers! We have 14-15 cans spread out around our 8' deep porch. Porch wraps around 32x46' house. Don't know the spacing off hand. I can check. The back door has the dimmer. The lights can be turned off/on at any door to the pre-set level. We also have fans on the back off the kitchen/dining area. My only requirement was to have the fans be between the lights, far enough apart as to not have a strobe effect. Dad did the placement. When the lights are really low it looks like moonlight coming in all first floor windows... Excellent glow. Pic of porches.

Jen
Jules
10 years ago
Beautiful porch, Jackson. What paint color did you use on the ceiling?
jackson2348
10 years ago
Thanks, y'all! Ceiling is BM Swept Away. We tried Palladian Blue but it was darker than we wanted. Cocktails at 5, of course :)

Jennybc, I love a wrap around porch. What a lovely setting too.
msrose
10 years ago
jennybc - Wow! What state do you live in? It looks like you're on top of the mountain.

Jackson - Love, love, love the blue ceiling! The brick color and blue ceiling make me think of New Orleans for some reason.
jennybc
10 years ago
Kentucky. From the road. Set back and actually just on a hill. Ã°ÂÂÂOverlooking an open valley below and to the right with a pond.
This was during construction. I really need better pics.
Jen

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