In the past, we’ve taken a look at lighting for living rooms, kitchens, home offices and children’s rooms. Over the next few weeks, we’ll help you cast the rest of your house in its best light, beginning with entryways. Whether you have a roomy front porch leading into a spacious grand foyer, or a simple stoop leading into a corner of the front room where you’ve stashed a coat rack, your front entry creates your home’s first impression. The right lighting can help to ensure that that impression is a good one.

Outside: After dark, no matter how large or small your front entrance and the path leading up to it, safety is the first concern. Light any potential obstacles and provide enough light to make visitors feel secure as they approach your home (and to ward off those whose interest in your home is less than savory). Use eye-catching light fixtures to help guide visitors to your front door, and make sure your house number is well-lit. These steps will go a long way toward making guests feel welcome before they even set foot inside your home.

Illusion: Inside, use the lighting tricks we’ve discussed in previous posts to your full advantage to set the tone you would like visitors to carry with them throughout your home. If you feel your grand foyer is too spacious and daunting to new visitors, dimming the lights and directing lighting toward the floor will make the space feel smaller and more intimate. Read the rest of this entry »