Outdoor Candle Lanterns – Their Warm Appeal
When you want to make your home feel warm and welcoming, a good decorating choice can include outdoor candle lanterns. Candles, in and of themselves, give off a charm that remind you of simpler times, before electricity was invented. The lighting from candles is subdued and elegant, flattering and unobtrusive.
Where to Use Outdoor Candle Lanterns
Most outdoor candle lanterns are decorative in design, though some can be simply made, with the light of the candle acting as the star of the show. The outdoor candles are best when used to decorate an outdoor deck or patio.
In the evening, it is warm and inviting to sit by the glow of the candle light. The light gives just enough illumination to see without the harshness of floodlights or bulbs. The lanterns can also be used in or near the garden where people sit to relax. Use candle lanterns to light up a walkway, or on the steps leading to the front door of a home.
Hang the lanterns from a post and they become a beacon to light the way for guests. These lanterns also come in very handy on a camping trip for added light. Because they can be easily picked up and moved around they are very practical and can be used in just about any area outside the home; they can even be used inside the house if the design agrees with your interior decorations.
Types of Lanterns
Outdoor candle lanterns are manufactured in many different styles and of various materials. The most basic type is a four-sided lantern made of metal with glass windows, one of which opens to facilitate placing the candle inside. Others are similar with changes in shape (round, oval, cylindrical) or materials (wood, ceramic).
Most have a ring or hook on top to hang the lantern on a post. The beauty of many of these lanterns is in the design of the glass accents, which can be etched. Other decorative designs beautifying the lanterns are silhouettes made of metal, metal with punched-out holes, and historical designs which help delineate a particular era or style, such as Victorian or Colonial eras.
Styles of outdoor lanterns range from a basic square lantern with no design to an intricately-designed Moroccan lantern. A Moroccan lantern is teardrop-shaped. The outside design is made of metal with holes punched in. One design of an outdoor candle lantern is composed of clay with etched designs for the candle light to show through.
A beautiful, yet basic, design is a lantern made of wood with large clear glass panes. An elegant type of lantern resembles mansard-roofed buildings. These lanterns are four-sided, with two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope at a steeper angle and more vertical than the upper.
Outdoor candle lanterns are both versatile in style and usage. When in need of ambient light and design accessories, lanterns can be an excellent choice.
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