Warm-White Rooflines and Red-Bow Window Wreaths
A two-story Colonial with warm-white lights on the eaves, upper roofline and entry peak, plus red-bow wreaths centered in the upper windows and on the front door.
The project
This two-story Colonial called for a layout that could follow its broad eaves, hipped roof, dormers, and small front entry peak without competing with the architecture. We installed evenly spaced warm-white lights along the visible roof edges, including the lower eaves, upper roofline, side runs, and entry portico. Lit wreaths with red bows were centered in several upper windows, with another wreath at the front door.
At night, the roofline gives the home a clear outline from both the front and side approaches. The repeated wreaths break up the long second story and carry the same red accent across the facade. From the street in Glen Ridge, the lighting reads as balanced and traditional, while the mature trees and landscaping remain in the background.
The challenge
The house combines a hipped main roof with two gabled dormers on the front, a side gable, a covered side porch and a small arched portico over the front door. The roof edges change direction at every corner, and the second floor has a long row of windows that would look empty next to a lit roofline if left bare.
How we lit it
We ran warm white bulbs along the main eave, the lower edge of both dormers, the side gable rake and the porch eave, then traced the curved portico over the door so the entrance has its own small outline. Lit wreaths with red velvet bows hang in the upper windows on the front and on the side elevation, and a lit wreath marks the front door. Another lit wreath hangs on the side porch, which ties the side of the house to the front.
The result
At dusk the roofline gives the house a crisp outline against the trees, and the red bows repeat across the upper windows at an even rhythm. The arched portico holds the center of the front view, while the side approach shows the porch and gable just as clearly.
