Bookworm Cottage Style

One upcoming project we’re really excited about is bringing in an electrician to help us replace two unattractive, dysfunctional solar-powered lanterns with hardwired sconces on either side of our garage. I love the look of a traditional lantern for our colonial style house, but finding one within budget and that is wet-rated (not just damp-rated) proved to be a bit challenging.

1. Hector Finch Zeus Wall Lantern, Medium, Black // @ThisOakHouse (Nancy Meyers’ daughter, Annie, who is renovating a gorgeous California home right now) posted about these lanterns (see her shopping highlight!) and I was instantly smitten. At roughly $1,500 each, they are FAR BEYOND what I am able to pay. However, I’ve found that once I have a splurgy vision in mind, it is sometimes easier to find an affordable dupe since I have a better sense of the look I’m going for.
2. Northeast Lantern Coplin 11231, 2 Light 23.25 inch Dark Brass Outdoor Wall Light in Clear Glass // Erin Gates has posted about this lantern line on her blog, Elements of Style, and I absolutely love the look. These are roughly $650 each so still quite a splurge. But they just might be my favorite if we’re purely judging from looks alone!
3. Acclaim Lighting St. Charles 2-light Copper Patina Outdoor Wall Mount // I was considering a copper lantern for a hot minute, and these checked a lot of boxes. They are wet-listed (not just damp-listed) and the price was right at roughly $300 each. Ultimately however, we decided that a black lantern would work better for our home’s color scheme.
4. Pottery Barn Caleb Outdoor Metal Lantern Sconce // My husband really liked the “Paul Revere” look of these sconces for our colonial home. Given that they are only $249 each, I was minutes away from ordering them when I read the fine print and realized that they are only damp-rated for covered porches, and not actually wet-rated. Bummer!
5. Maxim Lighting – 40914 – Savannah VX – 2 Light Outdoor Wall Mount-15.25 Inches Tall and 7.75 Inches Wide in Antique Copper / Black Oxide // These are the sconces we ended up purchasing! I like the hint of copper on the backplate and the traditional body. Not only are they wet-rated, they are also described as being “climate-tough” and “made to withstand Coastal/Marine environments.” Since these sconces will be exposed to the elements rather than under a porch, and considering how wet and stormy Boston’s weather has been this year, we really don’t want to take any chances here. Best of all, these sconces are currently marked down to $169 each!

As for the lightbulbs, I think I’m going to give these dusk-to-dawn LEDs a try. While install won’t happen for a few months, I’m so excited to see the transformation!