Brass Outdoor Lights

Choosing between a brass wall light and a brass lantern

Wall lights and lanterns make up most of our brass outdoor lights, and choosing between them comes down to shape and setting. A wall light sits close to the house and spreads light across the door and the wall around it, good for a side passage or a garage. A lantern holds the bulb within a frame and gives a doorway a more traditional look, so it suits a porch, or a pair can frame a front door. Most are single lights; two-light designs give a wide doorway more reach. There are also a few ceiling lights for a porch roof, a few post lights, ground lights and bollards for paths and driveways, and a few table lamps.

Solid brass or brass finish: what lies beneath our brass outdoor lights

Every one of our brass outdoor lights has a brass finish, but the body beneath it varies. Brass is a dense, golden alloy long used for door furniture and ships' fittings, because it does not rust and takes a good polish. Solid brass means the light is brass right through rather than coated, and we stock many solid brass designs. They are heavy for their size, and outdoors the metal slowly darkens and mellows, so the light looks more settled as the years pass. Other lights carry a brass finish over aluminium or another metal, giving the same warm colour on a lighter body. Choose solid brass if you want a light that ages with the house.

Antique brass, gold tones and a few brighter finishes

Antique brass is the commonest finish in our range. It has a darker tone from the start, so the light looks aged from the day it goes up and sits quietly on an older house. Some of our lights lean towards a warmer gold tone, which looks brighter against a dark-painted front door. We also stock a few in polished or brushed brass: polished brass is mirror bright and needs regular cleaning outdoors to keep its shine, while brushed brass has a fine grain that shows marks less.

IP44, IP64 and choosing a spot for a brass outdoor light

An IP rating is two digits that tell you where a light can go. The first covers solids: 4 keeps out anything thicker than a millimetre, 5 is dust protected and 6 is dust tight. The second covers water: 4 means splashing from any direction, 5 means low-pressure jets and 7 means temporary immersion.

IP44 and IP64 are the commonest ratings across our brass outdoor lights. They handle splashing rain, enough for a house wall, a porch or a doorway, and IP64 also keeps out dust and insects. A few carry IP65, for an exposed wall or one within reach of a hose, and a few carry IP67, the rating to look for on a light set into the ground where water can sit. One or two carry a lower water digit and belong under cover, such as a porch roof. Check the rating on the product page against the spot you have in mind.

E27 bulbs, cable entry and fitting brass outdoor lights

Most of our brass outdoor lights take an E27 bulb, the large screw cap, which gives you a wide choice of shapes and brightness. Some take GU10 bulbs, which twist in on two pins; a few take the smaller E14 screw cap; and a few have LEDs built in, so there is no bulb to change. Some are sold without a bulb, so check the bulb fitting and whether a lamp is included on the product page before you order. Hard-wired outdoor lights should be fitted by a qualified electrician. For many of our solid brass lights we also list where the cable enters, at the rear or through a cable gland, which helps when choosing the exact spot on the wall.

Matching brass lanterns and wall lights to your house

Traditional and nautical designs lead our brass outdoor lights, with modern, industrial and vintage shapes alongside them, and most pair the brass with glass. A traditional lantern suits a period front door, a nautical wall light looks at home on a house by the water, and a modern shape keeps a plain rendered wall looking crisp. Match the finish more closely than the design. An antique brass lantern by the front door and antique brass wall lights down the side of the house read as one scheme, and the same shade of brass on your door furniture, house number and letter plate ties the front together.

Cleaning antique and solid brass, or letting it weather

Routine care is simple. Switch the light off and let it cool, then wipe the metal and any glass with a soft, damp cloth and dry them. Avoid abrasive pads and harsh cleaners, which can scratch the surface or strip an antique finish. Solid brass can be brought back to a shine with a brass polish if you prefer it bright, but never polish an antique finish, as that tone is part of the surface. Or leave solid brass to weather: the deepening colour is part of its appeal.