Front porch lighting ideas – 16 ways to illuminate the entrance to your home

Front porch lighting ideas can revolutionise the exterior of your home, creating a warm welcome for both yourself and visiting guests. The gentle glow from front porch lighting ideas will not only illuminate the front of your house but also provide an added level of safety to your home. 

However, finding the right lighting for your front porch is far more nuanced than just sticking up a wall light by the door. A great deal depends on the size of your porch, how you want to use the area and what practicalities you need to consider. A smaller space might need security lighting to deter unwanted visitors and illuminate your entryway, while a larger front porch might be multi-purpose, providing enough space for entertaining and congregating. 

Gone are the days of a single, lowly pendant hanging above the door. Now we have a range of different options that can not only illuminate the porch, but also provide extra security and long term efficiencies that also compliment your overall design aesthetic, even if you only have a small front porch.

The idea of harsh light can seem attractive from a security point of view, but as lighting designer Sally Storey of John Cullen Lighting explains, it's important for the porch area to feel inviting. 'Where you have a bare bulb, always try to make it softer. Speak to your electrician about putting a dimmer on any motion-sensor light,' she advises.

Whether you are planning a major overhaul of your front porch area or simply want to update the lighting to make the most of the space, it's worth considering a range of outdoor lighting when devising your scheme. 

 By Stephanie Hendries. Contributions from Holly Reaney