Warm White or Multicolor This Holiday?
The first week of November settles the argument for about four days every year. The mums are still blooming on…
Category Design & Inspiration
The One-Afternoon Switch From Halloween to Fall Lighting
The Halloween-to-fall reset is a real chore with a hard deadline: the morning of Sunday, November 1. Halloween 2026 lands…
The Hygge Corner: Cozy Outdoor Light
It is a few minutes past eight on an October evening. Two chairs, one blanket, a thermos, and the last…
Desert Yards: Solar That Handles Sun, Dust, and Heat
Here is the strange thing about desert yards: the most sun-drenched places in the country can be the hardest place…
Five Lights for a Small Porch
One lantern at the door. Two stakes along the rail or the steps. One step light. One spare in the…
The Stargazer’s Yard: Low-Glow Lighting
There are two kinds of well-lit yard, and they are opposites. The first is lit so a visitor never notices…
Farmhouse Front Yards: Black Fixtures, Warm Light
A warning before you order anything black and lantern-shaped: the fastest way to lose the farmhouse look is to buy…
Backyard Date Night: Three Ten-Minute Setups
When was the last time you sat in your own backyard after dark with nothing in your hands but a…
Zen Yard Lighting: Fewer Lights, More Effect
The garden I still think about had three lights in it. I visited on an October evening: a stone basin…
Color-Changing Solar Lights: Use Cases and Missteps
My brother-in-law bought color changing solar lights for his front walk two summers ago and called me in October convinced…
Mid-Century Exteriors: Fixture Shapes That Fit
The 1959 ranch at the end of our street has a low-slung roof, a carport on slender posts, and, until…
Selling Next Spring? Winter Curb Appeal Starts in Fall
A warning for anyone planning to list next spring: the buyer who falls for your house will probably see it…
The Outdoor Cocoa Corner: A Cozy Fall Lighting Nook
Here is something I noticed last October. No matter how many chairs we scattered across the patio, everyone kept ending…
Lighting a Craftsman Home’s Front Yard
A confession before anything else: early in my solar habit, I put a set of slim chrome path lights along…
Fog Machines and Solar Lights: The Double-Effect Trick
Here is a question that seems like a toy question until you stand in a yard at 9 p.m. on…
