These Gorgeous Outdoor Lighting Ideas Will Create the Most Inviting Patio

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With warmer weather on its way, it's time to fresh up your favorite outdoor space. Outdoor patios and porches are extensions of your living space and deserve to be just as fashionable as your interiors. Sprucing up your patio with gorgeous pots or easy weekend projects will create an oasis away from the stifling, inescapable indoors, but the perfect lighting will make the environment feel comfortable and inviting.

There are so many new outdoor products available, especially with advances in finishing processes for items like outdoor textiles and lighting. These creative approaches to outdoor lighting will inspire a fresh perspective. Here, our favorite outdoor lighting ideas for your backyard, porch or patio.

Add Charm with Copper Lanterns

Copper lanterns, seen here in an Eastern Shore, Maryland estate designed by Jess Weeth, add instant patina and charm.

Market Street 19" Wall Lantern

Is there anything more classic or charming than a flickering copper lantern? We think not. This one will bring warmth and a sense of history to your home—even if it's a new build.

Coordinating Colors

This pagoda lantern, as seen at Liz Lange's Grey Gardens estate, coordinates with the ceiling color and floor. Try tone-on-tone lighting for a bit of playfulness.

Scallop Trim Hanging Lantern

Scalloped detailing and a playful ball finial make this white lantern stand out.

Try a Colorful Chandelier

This Versailles-inspired, whimsical pergola includes a statement chandelier in a bright color that can be spotted even from a distance.

Cavanagh Mini Lantern

These pagoda-inspired lanterns are perfect for adding a dose of color and character to your outdoor space.

Mix Classic with Contemporary

In her Alabama home, Caroline Gidiere expertly mixes classically inspired glass lanterns with modern spotlights to keep her back patio well lit at night for entertaining.

Mid 20th-Century French Copper Lanterns

These French kitchen lanterns feature a rounded spire, four ball finials and glazed panels for an antique-inspired feel. Their pretty patinaed finish will up the charm of your patio, especially when mixed with more contemporary furnishings.

Go Big for Maximum Impact

An extra-large gas lantern hanging from the trees in this 1920s Hollywood estate is as charming as it is unexpected.

Georgian Porch Lantern

The Georgian Porch Lantern from Vaughan embodies elegance and sophistication.

Add Some Exotic Flair

Khoury & Vogt Architects created a dreamy Florida escape inspired by Roman architecture. Moroccan-style pendant lighting ground this large outdoor living space and make it feel like an exotic getaway.

Moravian Medium Star Lantern

A single one of these star-shaped lanterns (or a grouping of them) will make your back patio feel like a romantic escape.

Mix in the Vintage

This fabulous 1920s mansion designed by Maurice Fatio, the same architect employed by the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers, has been carefully restored in Palm Beach by Susan Zises. Vintage-inspired lanterns feel right at home with the elaborate stone facade.

Prince Wallmount

Urban Archaeology, as the name so aptly denotes, is a wonderful source of antiques-inspired architectural elements.

Add Coziness with Lamps

A table lamp makes this covered porch feel comfortable and as easy as an interior living room. While better for covered porches, there are options that are suited to the natural elements like wicker, ceramic, and shades made of outdoor fabric.

Garden Lattice Outdoor Table Lamp

Mimicking stone and garden lattice work, this outdoor table lamp is the perfect edition to any patio design. This design by Shades of Light is specifically engineered to be used outside.

Try Table Lamps

In another great example of using lamps, Caroline Gidiere adds color and a bit of English-garden charm to her breakfast patio with a patterned lamp.

The Rattan Turkic Lamp

Wicker wears well on a covered porch, and this one is just too stylish not to buy. The shape was inspired by a 13th-century Islamic jar.

Bring out the Freestanding Lanterns

Standalone lanterns are a great way to define a large outdoor space, as seen here in Jenna Bush Hager's backyard. Lanterns are easy to move around and look fantastic when entertaining.

Harbour Island Lantern Large

These bamboo and rattan lanterns will make your backyard feel like an island oasis. Add flameless candles or 4-inch pillars (just make sure to blow them out!).

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