These Ingenious Wire-Free $30 Wall Lanterns Take One Minute to Install – But They Look Like You Called in the Professionals
Fake a little provenance this Memorial Day with the most elegantly low-effort outdoor lighting hack I’ve seen all season
Classically elegant homes have coach lanterns. Think about it – when have you ever seen a historic estate without them? Even on a new build, they lend a stately, inherited charm. What isn’t quite as charming, however, is rewiring. Especially in summer, when everyone is already hot, bothered, and one delayed contractor text away from completely losing it.
But I can happily report that I'm feeling both cool and completely collected, thanks to an outdoor wall light duo I found on Amazon, which – unlike 19th-century fixtures they muse – require neither rewiring nor batteries, soaking up sunlight all day so you don’t have to think about charging them when you should be at the beach, by the pool, or orchestrating some sort of fabulous alfresco situation for friends.
These outdoor lighting ideas come equipped with three polycrystalline silicon solar panels, which is really just a fancy way of saying they soak up sunlight fast and keep patios and porches glowing all evening. They also come with all the necessary installation hardware, so your curb appeal upgrade can happen ASAP.
They automatically switch on at dusk and off at dawn, with a motion sensor that ensures you’ll always have light when you need it. The more sunlight they absorb, the faster they charge and the brighter they glow – reportedly much brighter than similar solar wall lights on the market, according to more than 2,400 reviewers (who’ve, by the way, collectively awarded these outdoor lanterns 4.3 stars).
And people are putting them everywhere. Flanking front doors. Framing garage entrances. Lighting courtyards, porches, balconies, sheds. From the moment guests arrive for cocktails and are greeted by that soft coach-lantern glow, to spotting the matching fixtures in the backyard during the sangria portion of the evening, they genuinely look like they’ve been there all along.
At under $30 apiece, the provenance may be fake, but thankfully, the durability is not. Made from weatherproof ABS plastic, they can withstand rain, heat, and freezing temperatures without corroding or giving out. If only the same could be said for actual antiques.
I love a flea market find as much as the next, but for more reasons than one, these sneaky wall accessories might actually be better.
Additional Outdoor Wall Lanterns
With all the money you’re saving on the above fixtures – plus the added bonus of not having to pay for an electrician – there’s suddenly room in the budget for a few more outdoor lighting situations. Below, several additional wall lights currently catching my eye.
Feeling fancy? As if the above option didn’t already bring its fair share of elegance, this thickened water-ripple glass version makes porches and patios look like they summer in Nantucket – and, amazingly, still doesn’t require any wiring.
You may have sensed a theme here, but yes, once again, no electrician is necessary. This coach-style lantern hangs from a die-cast aluminum frame that won’t rust, dangling like jewelry against the exterior of the home. Even more expensive-looking after dark.
For those wanting to shake up the antique-inspired look a touch, this Memorial Day sale find absolutely deserved inclusion. Pre-hardwired and ready to rumble, its classic-meets-coastal look is giving me very chic hotel by the water. Which, according to this summer’s outdoor decorating trends, is very much the mood.
Call me extra, but I’m not personally of the opinion that lighting opportunities stop at the porch. When sun-drenched afternoons turn into spontaneous alfresco dinners, ALDI makes a fabulous umbrella light to push your summer entertaining just slightly further over the edge.
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