Warm-White Rooflines, Wrapped Columns, and Pathway Lights
A symmetrical colonial with warm-white roof edges across both wings, garland-wrapped portico columns, wreaths on the gable and entry, wrapped trees and a lit paver walk.
The project
This Marlboro colonial has a broad, symmetrical front with a two-story portico, tall white columns, and a centered gable. We used warm-white lighting to follow the main roof edges and carry a continuous line across both side wings. Lit garland wraps the front columns, while a large wreath with a red bow centers the upper gable and a smaller wreath marks the entry. We also wrapped the trunks of the front trees, including the red-leaf ornamental trees by the entry, and outlined the curved paver walk and planting beds with evenly spaced ground lights.
At night, the roofline establishes the shape of the house while the columns draw attention toward the entrance. The ground lighting follows the curves of the landscaping and creates a clear visual connection between the street, walkway, and front door.
The challenge
The house is wide and symmetrical, with a two-story portico, a centered gable and a lower wing on each side, so the roof lines sit at three heights. In front of it the landscaping is layered: a curved paver walk, planting beds with rounded edges, ornamental trees by the entry and a large shade tree near the street. The lighting had to hold together across the full width of the lot, from the curb to the front door.
How we lit it
We set the same warm white on every element so the house and the yard read as one plan. The roof line runs along the main eave and the centered gable, then steps down across each side wing. On the portico, lit garland spirals up all four columns, and a lit wreath with a red velvet bow sits high in the gable, with a second wreath on the front door.
At ground level, stake-mounted bulbs follow both edges of the curved walk and the outline of each planting bed, keeping even spacing through the curves. The large tree by the street is wrapped along its trunk and into the lower limbs, and the smaller trees near the entry have their trunks wrapped.
The result
From the street the house, the walk and the beds form one composition, with the lit tree on the left balancing the portico on the right. Up close, the lines of ground bulbs lead straight from the lawn to the front door.
