Exterior Lanterns

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I have mentioned some of the interior lighting selections that we made, but just as important to the design of the house were the exterior lighting selections.  Exterior lighting is an integral part of the look of the house; as with most design and architecture related items, scale and proportion are of utmost importance, as are materials and style.

We ended up using mostly copper lanterns, in various styles.  The copper is already attaining the beautiful patina that comes from exposure to the elements.   We used different styles of lanterns in various locations, and selected both electric and gas lanterns.  It drives my husband a little bit crazy to have a gas lantern running 24/7, so we reserved the gas lanterns for the front of the house and the outdoor room, and the rest are electric.

 

One of my favorite exterior lanterns is by a company called Flambeaux Lighting.  It is a New Orleans based company that makes all of their lanterns by hand, in their New Orleans shop.  Their products are made by craftsmen who have years of experience crafting copper lanterns, and this is clearly seen in the product. I had never heard of them before building my house, but they came highly recommended.  Their price point is excellent (lower than many of their competitors), the quality of their product is outstanding,  and although they have a large catalog, they can also craft lanterns custom to the job.  Their lead time is also very reasonable, which is always a good thing!

From the Flambeaux web site: “As native residents of New Orleans we understand the look and feel of the French Quarter.  We use this experience to design and build the finest French Quarter style gas lanterns you will find anywhere.  Our designs reflect the broad diversity of this region as well as the many influences of the people that live here.  You see these styles in the many different types of lanterns from the colonial style Williamsburg, to the European style London Street to the authentic French Quarter style lanterns”.

  “As a manufacturer we are continually adding new styles of lanterns as well as building custom lanterns for our clients and friends who have something special in mind.  The style and type of lantern we can build is limited only by your imagination so please contact us if you have something unique in mind - we can build it.”

Here are the Flambeaux lanterns that we ordered for our house – this style is the Regency, and we custom ordered this pair on a gooseneck bracket in the large 35” size.   We purposely chose to scale these on the large size; when the four trees near the lanterns have leaves, the effect is softened. (Note: I have an extra pair of these lanterns that we did not end up using. If you are in the Atlanta area, and are interested, please contact me: thingsthatinspire@gmail.com)

On the opposite side of the exterior of family room, where we have the grill, we used the same style – the Regency – in the 30” size, flush mount to the wall.   One little tip that someone gave me – when using electric exterior lanterns, purchase silk wrapped bulbs – it makes the bulbs glow and look a bit like candles!  I got my silk wrapped bulbs at a lighting store in Atlanta, Lamp Arts.

For more information on Flambeaux products, check out their web site.  One note from their web site that I thought was interesting, they point out that their lanterns (when fitted as electric) can be used either inside and outside.   The lantern on the left as a flush mount would look great as a sconce in a casual bathroom – and I love the idea of a lantern as a table lamp.

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