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Nautical Lighting

Our nautical lighting borrows its shapes from the lights of ships and harbours, and every piece in the range is for outdoor use. Most are solid brass outdoor wall lights and lanterns, most finished in brass and many in nickel, rated at least IP44 against splashing water, for a front door, porch or garden wall. A few post and ground lights and one or two ceiling lights complete the range.

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Where the nautical look comes from

The nautical look began with lights that had a job to do at sea and on the quayside: plain metal bodies, glass to let the light out, and shapes chosen for use rather than ornament. Our range keeps that character. Almost every light is made of metal, most pair that metal with glass, and every one is for outdoor use, so the look carries from the front door to the end of the garden.

What solid brass means for a nautical light

Most of our nautical lights are made from solid brass, and the term is worth understanding before you compare them. Solid brass means the body of the light is brass through its full thickness, not a thin brass-coloured layer over another material. Brass has been used for fittings on ships for centuries, so it suits a nautical light naturally. It also takes a finish well, which is why our solid brass designs come in brass tones such as antique brass and in satin nickel. On those designs the finish changes the colour, not the metal underneath.

Antique brass or satin nickel: picking a nautical finish

Brass finishes make up the largest share of the range, and antique brass gives the nautical look a deep, mellow tone that seems settled on the wall from the first day. Satin nickel has a soft, cool sheen and suits a front door where the handle, letterbox and numbers are already nickel. A few lights come in black or in green for a darker look. The simplest guide is to follow the metal already on the door, so a brass knocker points to antique brass and a nickel handle to satin nickel, then keep to that one finish across the front of the house.

Where a nautical light can go: reading its IP rating

Every light in the range is rated at least IP44, so all of them are protected against splashing water from any direction. An IP rating has two digits. The first covers dust and solid objects: 4 keeps out anything bigger than a millimetre, 5 limits dust and 6 seals it out completely. The second covers water: 4 means splashing water, 5 means low-pressure jets and 7 means temporary immersion.

Most of our nautical lights are rated IP64, and others IP44 or IP54. The three share the same protection against splashing water, which suits the wall beside a front door, a porch or a stretch of garden wall; the higher first digit simply keeps out more dust. A few are rated IP65, worth choosing for a wall that takes driving rain or sits within reach of a hose. One or two are rated IP67, the rating to look for where a light sits in the ground and water can pool around it.

Sizing a nautical light for a door, wall or passage

Across the range, the listed widths run from 7cm to 25cm and the listed heights from 9cm to 83cm, so there is a compact light for a narrow strip of wall beside a door and a broader one for a gable end or a wide entrance. How far a light stands out matters as much as its size where people pass close by. Listed depths run from 5cm to 16cm, and where we give a projection from the wall it runs from 5cm to 22cm. On a narrow side passage, a shallower nautical wall light keeps shoulders and bags clear.

Most of our nautical lights take a single bulb, and most use an E27 screw fitting; others take G9 or GU10 bulbs, and a few take other fittings. Most are sold without a bulb, so check the fitting on the product page and buy a bulb to suit.

Carrying one nautical design from the gate to the door

Nautical lighting looks its best when it repeats. A matching pair either side of a front door is the usual place to start, and the same design can carry on along the garden wall or round to the back door. Outdoor lanterns are the second largest group after wall lights, and a few post and pillar lights and ground lights in the same nautical style let a path or drive follow the same line from the gate. One or two ceiling lights suit a covered porch. Choose the IP rating spot by spot, since a sheltered porch, an open wall and a path ask different things of a light.

Keeping brass and nickel nautical lights clean

Outdoor lights gather dust, pollen, cobwebs and the odd splash of mud, and a gentle clean a few times a year keeps the finish looking right. Switch off and let the light cool, then wipe the metal and glass with a soft cloth dampened with water and a drop of mild washing-up liquid, and dry it straight away. Skip scouring pads and strong household cleaners, which can wear through an antique or satin finish. After autumn, clear fallen leaves from around any ground lights.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is IP44 enough for a light beside the front door?
Usually, yes. IP44 means protection against splashing water from any direction, the same water protection as our IP54 and IP64 lights, and every light in the range meets it. The higher first digit on IP54 and IP64 keeps out more dust. For a wall that takes driving rain, look at the few rated IP65, which also resist low-pressure jets.

Do the lights come with bulbs?
Most of our nautical lights are sold without a bulb, so plan to buy one separately. The bulb fitting is listed for every light: most take an E27 screw bulb, others take G9 or GU10 bulbs, and a few use other fittings. Most take a single bulb, though a few take two or three.

Are all of these nautical lights solid brass?
Most are, though not every one looks brass. Brass finishes, many of them antique, make up the largest share of the range; satin nickel comes next, and a few lights are finished in black or green. Most pair their metal with glass.

How far will a nautical wall light stand out from the wall?
It depends on the design. Across our solid brass lights, listed depths run from 5cm to 16cm, and where we give a projection from the wall it runs from 5cm to 22cm. For a narrow passage or a path that runs close to the wall, pick a shallower light; on an open front wall, a deeper one has room.

Can I put a nautical light in the ground or on decking?
Yes, we stock a few decking and ground lights in the same nautical style. For a light set into the ground, look for a high second digit in the IP rating: one or two in the range are rated IP67, which allows for temporary immersion, so they suit spots where rainwater gathers on a path or decking.

Can I light a gatepost or porch ceiling in the same style?
Yes. Alongside the wall lights and lanterns, we stock a few post and pillar lights and one or two ceiling lights, all in the nautical style. Where a design comes in the same finish as your wall lights, choose it, so the front of the house reads as one set.

Can I fit a nautical wall light myself?
Outdoor mains lights should be installed by a qualified electrician. Before booking one, it helps to know where the cable enters: some of our solid brass lights take it at the rear, and others have a cable gland that can sit at the end or the rear, with a brass blank included to close the unused opening.

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