Period Appropriate Porch Lighting

[Mick_VT]

A single CFL or LED uses almost nothing, even an incandescent uses very little. I do this too - the downside is spiders - the light attracts bugs, the spiders move in for the buffet

[phil]

maybe the yellow porch bulbs would help a bit. they are supposed to be less visible to bugs I doubt they are really the cat's pajamas though
You could mount the motion sensor somewhere else but it would require some wiring. if you do you could get creative and separate the two, so for example if you walk the driveway it turns on the porch light , making it look as if someone in the house turned it on for you. walking beside the house turns on a lamp in the attic , that sort of thing.

[Mick_VT]

There are a bunch of "Internet of Things" devices springing up for this kind of thing - they dont sense movement yet (I think) but for example the Wemo switches that replace regular light switches are internet enabled and can be controlled from your phone, and setup with rules to come on and off at certain times of the day (or at random). I have a few of these as I work away from my home a lot.

I sense us drifting off topic here

[1918ColonialRevival]

I wouldn't put a CFL or LED in an enclosed fixture, as many of them are not made for that application. The cost of burning a single bulb is negligible when it comes to your electric bill.

[CS in Low Hud]

What do you guys do for automated dusk to dawn lighting too?

We have two lights on our porch - the wall sconce from Rejuvenation which is wired to a switch, and a hanging mosque light that I picked up at a Moroccan import shop in the city and then rewired with a low-voltage socket tied into my landscape lighting. That's all on a timer, so it comes on at dusk and stays on until about 11:30pm. If you come to my house later then that, well, the dog'll let me know. There's a streetlamp on the street, and neighbors close on both sides, so security is not the issue. We just don't want someone to trip coming to the door, if I have forgotten to switch on the wall sconce.

Chris

[Corsetière]

Mick, all totally useful info! I welcome it!

[mkiehn20]

I noticed that Wayfair has a lot of antique-look lights--globes, canning jars, school house pendants, and more. They were pretty inexpensive, if I remember right.

[BungalowMo]

I had this guy on Etsy make a custom fixture for over my sink. He did a great job! I'd guess he makes outdoor lighting as well.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/DWVintage

Just another option!

Here's what he made for me...

New light 03.jpg (100.87 KiB) Viewed 618 times

New light 05.jpg (99.63 KiB) Viewed 618 times

[Don M]

I like that light; very retro!