Inverted Drop Exterior Sconces In Ceramics
by Katia Langeard · Eze, France

Not where you put it, but how it is built. Outdoor fixtures use sealed housings, gasketed joints, corrosion-resistant hardware and cable rated for exposure, and they carry a rating that states how much water and dust they can withstand. A fixture without that rating may work outside for a season and then fail — usually at the cable entry or the socket, where water collects.

It depends on exposure. For a covered porch, a loggia or a deep balcony where rain does not land directly, IP44 or above is generally appropriate. For an open terrace, a garden wall or anywhere fully exposed, look for IP65 or above. For in-ground fixtures and anything near a pool or pond, higher ratings up to submersion are required. When in doubt, specify one level higher than you think you need.

They are the North American equivalents of the same idea. Damp-rated fixtures suit sheltered positions with humidity and occasional splashing — covered porches, soffits, bathrooms. Wet-rated fixtures withstand direct rain and can be used in fully exposed positions. If you are buying internationally, match the IP number rather than the label, since terminology differs by market.

Generally no, and we would rather say so than sell you something that fails. Indoor fixtures lack the seals, gaskets and cable protection that outdoor conditions require, and humidity alone will corrode contacts over time. A covered balcony in a mild climate is the most forgiving case, but it is still a risk with a handmade piece. Portable, battery-powered or candle-lit objects are the safe way to bring an indoor aesthetic outside.

Yes, and this is where most decorative outdoor lighting belongs. A roof over the fixture takes most of the load off it, which widens what you can use. Two cautions: condensation still forms under cover, and wind-driven rain reaches further into a porch than people expect, so a piece on the outer edge needs a higher rating than one against the house wall.

Solar is common in mass-market garden lighting and rare in collectible design, since panels, batteries and the light quality they produce sit awkwardly with handmade objects. Where we can offer an off-grid solution it is usually a rechargeable or battery-powered piece rather than a solar one. Ask our curation team what is currently available if that is a requirement.

This is the most practical route for balconies, terraces and rented properties, and the selection here grows as more studios make them. A rechargeable piece needs no wiring, no electrician and no permanent position, and can be brought indoors in bad weather — which also extends its life considerably. Check the stated run time and whether the piece is rated for occasional rain or only for dry evenings.

By a qualified electrician, using weatherproof connections, appropriate cable and residual current protection, with rules that differ by country. Many garden schemes use a 12V low-voltage system fed by a transformer, which is safer, easier to extend and does not require the same depth of buried cable as mains wiring. Plan positions before any paving or planting goes in — retrofitting cable is the expensive part.

Around 165–175 cm from the ground to the center of the fixture, which puts the light above eye level for most people approaching. Where a pair flanks a door, keep them symmetrical and scaled to the opening — a useful rule is a fixture roughly a quarter to a third the height of the door. Choose a design that directs light downward so nobody arrives with the source in their eyes.

75–90 cm between the tabletop and the lowest point of the fixture, as indoors. Outside, add two considerations: wind, which rules out anything that swings freely in an exposed position, and mounting, since a pergola beam or a loggia ceiling has to take the weight securely.

Much dimmer than indoors. Eyes adapt to darkness, so 100–300 lumens per fixture is usually enough to light a table or a seating area, and several low sources beat one bright one. Excess brightness flattens a garden, creates glare and destroys the contrast that makes planting and architecture look interesting after dark.

Warm — 2200–2700 K. Warm light flatters stone, timber, brick and planting, reads as welcoming rather than institutional, and attracts noticeably fewer insects than cool white light. Cooler temperatures belong in security and task lighting, which is a different product category and a different intent.

Brass, copper and bronze, which patina rather than corrode; marine-grade stainless steel and powder-coated aluminum, especially near the coast; dense hardwoods such as teak and iroko; and glass, concrete and glazed stoneware where frost is not a factor. Natural fiber, paper, textile and untreated softwood should be kept under cover or brought inside. Ask us about a specific piece — makers know their materials best.

Rated fixtures will handle rain and cold; the risk is freezing. Water that gets into a ceramic body, a hairline glaze crack or an unsealed joint expands when it freezes and splits the material. In a climate with hard frosts, treat unsheltered ceramic, stone and glass pieces as seasonal, and store portable and candle-lit objects indoors over winter. Two seasons out and two seasons in will roughly double the life of most pieces.