Lighting on the exterior of historic buildings in Providence, RI, needs to provide safety and stay relatively low-profile to preserve the classic facades. The property owner of a former textile mill - now named The Plant - requested fixtures that could shine light both up and down without taking attention away from the building’s character.

Because The Plant now houses commercial, retail and residential tenants, exterior fixtures need to light up sidewalks and give off enough light to eliminate shadows above. Electrician Marco Desrochers ran conduit along the brick exterior of the building, and installed mounting boxes at the center point between windows. He mounted seven 1,850 lumen, 30W LED decorative sconces to provide energy efficiency without sacrificing quality or style.

Not only does the LED lighting scheme fit in with the character of the old mill, the overall effect is exactly what his customer ordered, Desrochers said.

“The request was for up-and-down lights between windows,” he added. “The sconces give off great light and aren’t obtrusive during the day.”

Interesting architectural details like The Plant’s large arched windows and intricate stone corbels and moulding running the length of the façade are highlighted nicely by the up-lighting of the LED decorative sconces. At the same time, down lighting shines brightly on the walkway so residents take sure steps no matter the time of day.

More, Desrochers said because the sconces are constructed with a durable aluminum housing with a powder-coat finish, he is confident his customer will be able to rely on the fixtures for years to come with minimal maintenance.

Products Used
LED Decorative Wall Sconces
Up to 2500 Total Lumens