Outdoor Lighting to Brighten Your Terrace, Patio, or Porch

Jun 10, 2023

By Hannah Martin

Divergence outdoor pendant by Hubbardton Forge; $1,727. Hubbardtonforge.com.

Bond pendant sconce by Michael Berman for Robert Abbey; $987. Robertabbeylightingstore.com.

Original 1227 Giant outdoor floor lamp in Marine Blue by Anglepoise; $5,300. Aplusrstor.com.

Soho outdoor pendant light from Marset; starting at $1,306. Marset.com.

Rex sconce by Urban Electric; to the trade. Urbanelectricco.com

Lighting really can make a room. And the same rule applies when you’re decorating a terrace, deck, or patio. If the idea of hanging a light fixture in an open-air space seems like a challenge, we have some advice: On a terrace, try flanking a door or window with classic, wall-mounted lanterns, like the timeless copper fixtures that line the New Orleans streets. If you have a covered patio, hang a trio of pendant lights or one statement-making chandelier. Or to brighten up the backyard, punctuate an exterior wall with flush mounts. Here, AD selects ten stylish options, many of them approved by the Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a product safety certification organization, for damp and wet environments, making them suitable for uncovered outdoor spaces, rain or shine.

Shown: Charles Edwards’s Pagoda lantern adds a chinoiserie flair to the terrace. The fixture, which is hand-assembled in its London workshop with your choice of metal and paint finish, can be wired for damp environments; from $5,350. charlesedwards.com

The Mills large aged-iron wall lantern by Ralph Lauren Home is UL rated for wet spaces; $2,700. ralphlaurenhome.com

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The iron frame of Arteriors’ 12-light Chappellet chandelier—approved for use in covered outdoor areas—is draped with crackled resin beads; $6,900. arteriorshome.com

Pottery Barn’s faceted steel pendant brings an element of geometry to covered outdoor spaces; $299. potterybarn.com

Made from grooved glass, the Crisp sconce by Rich Brilliant Willing can illuminate wet outdoor areas; $250. richbrilliantwilling.com

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In keeping with its nautical appearance, the oval brass bulkhead light 7034 by Davey Lighting, with frosted, prismatic glass diffusers, is UL approved for wet environments; $419. shophorne.com

A thin sheet of textured bronze aluminum wraps around an LED light to form Sonneman’s Folds sconce, which is suitable for wet environments; $550. sonnemanawayoflight.com

Designed by Alfred Homann and Ole V. Kjær for Louis Poulsen in 1976, the wet-approved copper Nyhavn wall sconce is a simple, sleek addition to an outdoor space; $1,548. dwr.com

By Mel Studach

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E.F. Chapman’s Dublin large faceted sconce for Circa Lighting in aged iron and frosted glass is UL listed for wet locations; $420. circalighting.com

Sixty years ago Bevolo crafted the gas lanterns that are still burning in New Orleans’s French Quarter. Try the copper French Quarter lantern—available in gas, liquid propane, or electric—on your patio or porch. It's suitable for use in damp or wet environments; starting at $375. deringhall.com

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