Our exterior lighting has been pretty underwhelming, which you can see from this small fixture by the back door of our garage (and yes, that green brick could use a good scrubbing).
The door itself is a bit rough, too. We recently removed a rusty, loudly banging storm door and are planning to repair the trim and prime and paint the door white to match the veranda door we already updated.
The original light was small and weathered, so we decided it was time for an upgrade. Picking the right fixture turned out to be harder than expected—apparently we’re not regular exterior-light shoppers. After searching a few stores and browsing online, we narrowed it down to eight contenders:
- Black lantern — $69 (inspired by a Pinterest photo)
- Seeded glass lantern — $75
- Transitional black outdoor wall lantern — $87
- X-shaped lantern — $37
- Bronze cross-sconce — $35
- Bronze lantern — $79
- Antique copper wall light — $219 (eye candy, out of budget)
- Bronze lantern — $117
That mood board didn’t produce a clear winner, but a trip down the lighting aisle at Home Depot and Lowe’s did. The black lantern (option #1) had gone on sale, and it had been my favorite from the start. It was one of the largest choices and among the more affordable ones, so we decided to buy it.
Installation was straightforward and exactly like most light fixture swaps:
- Turn off the power.
- Remove the old fixture and note how the wires are connected (take a photo if it’s your first time).
- Attach the new fixture to the same wires.
- Tuck wires into the backplate and secure the light to the wall with the provided screws.
- Turn the power back on and test the light.
The install went smoothly, and the new light is a major visual upgrade. It’s no miracle fix for the door or the green brick, but it’s no longer rusty or tiny.
To emphasize the difference in scale, here’s a side-by-side comparison with the old fixture so you can see how much more substantial the new lantern is.
We prefer outdoor fixtures with strong visual presence, and this lantern fits the house’s traditional exterior. Imagine it paired with a freshly painted door, cleaned brick, a welcome mat, and planters on either side—there’s definitely potential once we tackle those projects.
This photo highlights the lantern’s size and classic shape, which feels appropriate for our home. We briefly considered using this style in the veranda (we’re looking for sconces for the posts there), but when we held them up they didn’t look right, so that search continues.
On a fun note, when I stepped out to take photos of the new light I found a small group of deer standing right outside the door. They scattered when I opened the door but lingered nearby, so some of the after photos include wildlife cameo appearances.
We also replaced a smaller, worn fixture above the garage with a matching lantern. While the finish looks nicer and less rusty, the light reads as a modest upgrade between two large garage doors; it doesn’t command the same presence as it does by the back door.
It’s not terrible, but it does look a bit lost on the big brick wall beside the garage doors. We’re planning other updates for that side of the house—painting the garage doors a darker color, adding a pergola over the double garage, and eventually installing shutters and other architectural details—so the final decision might depend on how those projects come together.
Part of us wants to live with this new garage light until we complete the other improvements and see how everything reads together. The other part thinks we should return it now if it doesn’t feel right and keep searching for something that better fits that large expanse of brick.
What would you do? Keep the matching lantern and wait until the other projects are finished, or return it and keep hunting for a fixture with more presence for the garage wall? Any tips for where to shop for exterior lighting beyond local lighting stores, Lowe’s, Home Depot, or big online retailers would be appreciated.