Now that we’ve introduced the different types of lighting we have available at our Sarasota showroom, we wanted to cover the basics of choosing the right type of outdoor lighting.

Whether or not you’ve done it before, creating an ideal outdoor lighting solution can feel like a monumental task. After all, there’s a lot of thought that goes into choosing the perfect ones for your home or business.

Not only are there many different types of lighting, if you combine that with the styles and design types within each category, the options are nearly endless.

When it comes to outdoor lighting the best thing to do is to make optimal use of the different types of light fixtures. Like a symphony that makes use of many different instruments to create one beautiful sound, having a full-orbed lighting strategy that makes use of many different types of lighting features will create the most-powerful effect.

At Franklin Lighting, we generally follow these guidelines for deciding where certain types of lighting fixtures will look best:

• Wall lights: Use them on porches, garages, entryways, and side yards
• Spotlights: Use them for driveways, walkways, the side of your home, alleyways, and garages
• Landscape lights: Use them to attract attention to landscaping or hardscaping features in the front yard, back yard, or in strategic areas around your business
• Ceiling/Hanging lights: These look great over patios with overhead covering and porches
• Post lights and pier heads: These can be placed around your patio, driveways, and walking areas

When choosing lighting fixtures one of the most important hallmarks of a particular feature being “outdoor” is its ability to withstand moisture. These either come in wet or damp ratings. Use wet-rated lighting features in areas that are exposed to inclement weather (i.e. landscape lighting or post lights and pier heads) Use damp-rated fixtures for areas that aren’t directly exposed to rain or moisture like your patio or porch.
With such an extensive selection to choose from, we understand that finding the perfect lighting can feel a bit more than overwhelming. That’s why our trained and experienced lighting experts are here for you.

On top of our decades of experience, we also keep up-to-date with the latest design trends to ensure you have lighting designs that stay fresh and new for decades to come.