Luminous Landscapes: 10 of the Best Outdoor Wall Lights

Lighting vertical spaces is one of the easiest ways to create a sense of grandeur in a building. We see it all the time on hotels, and yet when it comes to the exterior of our homes too often the walls sit blank — a forgotten canvas on an otherwise beautiful house. It’s an idea that feels especially relevant come summertime, as we trade intimate dinner parties for leisurely barbecues and alfresco dining. To help you find your glow, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best outdoor wall lights, each of which offers a unique day-to-night lighting solution.

The beauty of light is that it doesn’t act alone. It interacts with everything it touches, expressing itself through the grains, patina and tones of different surfaces. If you’ve got a beautiful home, let it be seen in it’s best light with some artfully placed illumination. The Origami light from Vibia allows you to create stunning constellations of light, adding radiance and texture to outdoor spaces.

The Scandinavians have a unique relationship with light. It’s perhaps due to the fact that during winter the daylight hours can be counted on one hand. However, such scarcity has created a unique sensibility for what makes a truly great light, with some of the finest designers hailing from northerly climes. One of the most exciting names of recent years is Christian Flindt, a Danish architect responsible for the beautiful Flindt Series by Louis Poulsen. Crafted using a combination of 3D printing and metal casting, it’s organic curves and lipped surfaces create a beautiful play of shadow and light.

Following the success of its portable counterpart, Flos has extended the Bellhop series into an entire eco-system of lights. This particular variant sits snugly upon the wall, creating a beautiful halo of light for all who pass. Ideal for use in passages or stairways, it offers a discrete lighting solution for lovers of Italian design.

We often hear stylists explaining how illumination can be used to frame a space — shining light on its best features while creating shadows where desired. It’s an idea that’s taken on a very literal meaning at Artemide with the launch of their patented light blade technology. Simple yet striking, the Antarktikos Wall Light uses an innovative optic to create a 360° light profile from a single LED source. Available in both white or RGB colours, it offers a new way of illuminating windows and doors.

With the garden increasingly becoming a part of the residential panorama, designers have had to think about how they will recreate the warmth and comfort of the indoors, outside. It’s a task that has been taken up with great vigour by the creative minds at Catellani & Smith, culminating in a series of beautiful lamps such as Medouse. Crafted entirely by hand, its rippled glass surface takes on an ethereal aspect — glowing like a magic jewel in the darkness.

As one of the oldest designs on this shortlist, Lyndon represents a classical approach to lighting. Originally designed in 1977 by Vico Magistretti, it represents his love for simple, geometric shapes, while returning the lost time and memories associated with 19th-century street lighting. Timeless and opulent, it makes a beautiful first impression when positioned either side of entranceways.

Designs that “blend in” aren’t usually found at Chaplins. However, there’s some irresistible about the barely-there appearance of Antonio Citterio’s Camouflage Collection. The beautifully refined stone finishes allow for perfect integration in homes where materials speak for themselves.

The Projecteur Collection was one of the many designs created by Le Corbusier for the famed Chandigarh High Court in India. Deeply industrial in aesthetic, it reveals his ability to find beauty in the urban and highly functional. Re-released by Nemo Lighting for the first time in 2013, its generous bulb promises to flood gardens with light.

All glamorous materials and timeless allure, the Coco Mega Collection takes inspiration from the enduring elegance of Coco Chanel. Its hushed glow is gentle and atmospheric, inviting European glamour into the home.

Lampiok reveals light stripped back to its very essentials — an architectural frame, a classic bulb and a soft gush of illumination. Available in a wide variety of hues and styles, it promises chic French styling to last the ages.