Please post a photo or two.

Will the actual porch have light once you get up onto it? How will people find the bell in the dark if there's no light on the actual porch?

Yes, there will be a pendant light above. So many pictures on here show both the pendant and sconces around the door(s) and nothing to guide people while walking up the steps... maybe they just didn't want to run the electrical but to me I feel like lights on each side of the steps is important.

Hi Brea,

Often it is about the placement on the facade of the house. How does it look in relationship to the full presence of the house? I am not saying this is the best solution, it would depend on the design of your house. Not all lighting is for finding the door bell. Lighting to rake across a house and the landscape adds dimension to a home at night when friends and family come to your dinners and parties. It shows a home off. I have a saying about interior design to all my clients "half of an interior is the lighting." How you use lighting goes beyond the pragmatic to offer light levels, dimensional and spacial effects - this goes for the exterior as well. I hope this is helpful.

Lighting in the area of steps would be my choice. I have recessed LED’s IN my steps ( newly constructed steps so the contractor was able to accommodate my request ). Safety over aesthetics.

I have lighting at my front door and low voltage lighting recessed into the wall along my front walkway. They shine light at the steps and "guide" the way.

Photo please!

Our city has outdoor light guidelines for new construction. Good design includes being mindful of light pollution. Nightsky.org has a short summary and graphic of better outdoor lighting design.

My vision is impaired, so stairs, both interior and exterior, are a big issue for me. While good overall lighting is essential, the most helpful aid is accenting the edges of steps with lighting and/or color. Lighting built into the risers is great if done right, but it can make things worse going down. For me, shaded light on a post in front of the stairs is best for climbing; lighting at the top that shines into my eyes creates a glare that is often worse than no lighting at all. For descending, the first step off the landing is most difficult. I had our porch steps painted a color that contrasts with the porch color to clarify that first step. Once I am ascending or descending the steps, I depend most upon the rhythm of step height and depth. Irregular steps are a nightmare.

Just my experience, but something to consider.

Here is a front elevation view. It will sit on 19 acres on the outskirts of town. I’m definitely doing research into the light pollution. Hadn’t really heard much about it until this year when a neighboring town started having issues with the sea turtles. I can’t imagine my lights will be on more than 30 minutes past dark or even at all unless we have company coming. The perk of being in the middle of nowhere is being able to see all the stars :)

Lots of options for this design. If it was my house, I'd consider putting low voltage down lights on the underside of the porch roof, and perhaps a couple of low voltage lights on or in front of the stairs. I'd forget the idea of "sconces". Good luck!

Google “dark sky” lighting fixtures. Tons available online.

Oh, my, with a charming porch like that, definitely do lights under the porch roof. It gives such a nice glow to the porch, warm and welcoming but not glaring. Show off the porch and home, not the lighting,

When y'all say "under the porch roof" and "down lights on the underside of the porch roof" are you meaning recessed lighting in the soffit of the overhang?

Love Virgil's ideas and your location sounds wonderful!

"...When y'all say "under the porch roof" and "down lights on the underside of the porch roof" are you meaning recessed lighting in the soffit of the overhang?..."

Well it depends on how the underside of the porch roof will be finished. It there's no soffit (ceiling), and the porch roof framing is exposed, then the light fixtures could be surface mounted on the underside of the roof sheathing on some blocking.

On the other hand, if there will be a finished soffit (ceiling) under the roof porch, lights could be recessed or surface mounted.

I'd use three lights: one centered between each set of columns, starting with the front door, and moving to the right. The porch lights will fully illuminate the porch, but the steps will likely need at least a light to the left and right of the steps at the bottom. Another option is to recess a light in the center of each riser.

Good luck on your project.