Which carriage light would you choose?

HU-443496199

last year

I am pondering which transitional carriage lights to purchase for the sides of my garage door.

Which of the two photos do you think works best with my home? Or do you have another recommendation?

Featured Answer

PRO

Erin Wallpaper Works

last year

Considering that style, here's a general thought process for choosing:

Scale: The size of the lights should be proportionate to the garage door and the overall facade of your home. Too small, and they'll look insignificant; too large, and they might overwhelm the space.

Finish: The finish should complement other exterior hardware (like door handles or any existing light fixtures) and the color of your home.

Overall Aesthetic: The lights should contribute to the overall style you're aiming for. Transitional is quite versatile, so consider if you want to lean a bit more traditional or more modern within that spectrum.

Without seeing your home, it's tough to say definitively which of two unseen photos would be best. However, I'd generally lean towards a light that has a clean, classic carriage shape but perhaps with fewer ornate details for a transitional feel.

Do any particular finishes or shapes of carriage lights appeal to you? If you have a preference, I might be able to give a more specific (though still general) recommendation.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (13)

la_la Girl
last year
totally my personal preference but I am pretty over all the square cage/exposed bulb fixtures so if it were me, I’d skip that - is the other one large enough? often these lights get put on and are very undersized
HU-443496199
Original Author
last year
Good question. The one with the frosted glass is 14 inches. Might be a little too small. I think 20 inch lights would be about right for my 80 inch garage.
Related Professionals
Hagerstown Home Additions · Lake City Carpenters · Grand Rapids Carpenters · Atlantic City Interior Designers & Decorators · Morgantown Furniture & Accessories · Nashville Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Gaithersburg Interior Designers & Decorators · Dubuque Interior Designers & Decorators · Toledo Interior Designers & Decorators · Marquette Architects & Building Designers · Lancaster Architects & Building Designers · Myrtle Beach Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Springfield Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Laconia Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Denver Kitchen & Bathroom Designers
la_la Girl
last year
I will often mock things up with some tape & cardboard to get a feel but generally I think the guideline is 1/3 to 1/4 of the garage door height
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
last year
You don't want an exposed bulb with clear glass. The clear glass is a maintenance nightmare with bugs. Are you going to stick a standard LED bulb in the fixture. They look like this with a frosted glass and white body.

There are fixtures where the bulb is hidden.

I would select a more minimal fixture for your skinny walls on ither side of the garage door. These are on Amazon $26

This fixture makes a bigger statement. Also on Amazon
HU-443496199
Original Author
last year
Beverly, I like what you are suggesting. Just thinking that they might look too small. They're just 4x4.
Renee
last year
It is a narrow space. If you go contemporary and black color, get a larger black mailbox and black house numbers. Your house is not modern style.
HU-443496199
Original Author
last year
Renee, I am shooting for a transitional style, not modern. What kind of light would you recommend?
PRO
lisedv
last year
From Lamp Plus 20 inches:
Renee
last year
I like yours choices, also concerned they are not long enough. I was reacting to the more modern examples others gave you. When you choose, it would be fun to also choose complementary black or bronze accents to balance - a larger mailbox, house numbers, black and cream or white planter… even trading out the chairs and table color. Can you do a taped mock-up to check sizing you want?
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
last modified: last year
I would for sure look at LED bulb no matter what so I think the bottom one . You have a house that is a bit MCM so IMO do not stray far from that style for the lights . BTW your interior does not have to drive the exterior style . For me no grids in the windows and a new garage door would take this home from ordinary to great with some different landscaping too.
Valinta
last year
Make certain you can easily change the bulb with room to get your hand in the space
wdccruise
last year
Any exterior lighting should follow Dark Sky Principles:

Fixtures that shine light outwards or on to the wall don't follow these principles.

The Bradford dark-sky compliant lantern -- available in several sizes and two finishes -- from lumens.com would be a good choice.