‘Less is more’- the saying goes perfectly when it comes to lighting your outdoor landscape.
Landscape lighting is one of the smartest yet most neglected ways to enhance the outer appeal of your property. Not only does it enhance the outer appeal of your property, it highlights the unique features of the house during the night.
Done right, it can make the best of your house by highlighting the architectural features and drawing attention to your yards.
So, if you want to know the best placement suggestions and how to avoid common problems to enjoy your outdoor areas well into the evening, we have got some tips:
Highlight Key Features:
Identify the focal points in your landscape, such as trees, architectural elements, sculptures, or water features, and use lighting to draw attention to them. Well-placed spotlights or uplights can create dramatic effects and add depth to the overall landscape design. If you have an outdoor pool, replacing pool lights with focus lights will amp up the space.
Layer More:
Add a combination of lighting techniques to create depth and visual interest. Use a mix of uplighting, downlighting, and path lighting to achieve a balanced and layered effect. This way, you can make your entire landscape well-lit and visually appealing.
Go for Warm Lights:
Opt for warm white light instead of cool white or bright white. Warm tones create an inviting and comfortable atmosphere, giving a sense of the soft glow of candlelight, which complements outdoor settings perfectly.
Focus on Safety:
Place pathway lights along walkways and steps to ensure safe passage throughout your landscape. Avoid harsh or glaring lights that can cause visual discomfort, and use shielded fixtures to prevent light pollution.
Consider Moonlighting:
Moonlighting involves placing lights high up in trees to mimic the soft, natural glow of the moon. This technique creates a magical and romantic ambiance, ideal for outdoor dining or relaxing.
Embrace Silhouetting:
Silhouetting involves placing lights behind objects or plants to create striking silhouettes against walls or fences. This technique adds depth and intrigue to the landscape, particularly in the evening.
Opt for Energy-Efficient Lighting:
Choose LED lighting for your landscape as they are energy-efficient and have a longer lifespan compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. LED lights also come in various colors and can be dimmed, providing flexibility in achieving different lighting effects.
Use Timers and Motion Sensors:
Install timers or motion sensors for your landscape lighting to save energy and create a sense of security. Timers automatically turn lights on and off at specific times, while motion sensors activate lights only when movement is detected.
Test Lighting at Night:
Before finalizing your landscape lighting setup, test the lights at night to see how they interact with different elements in your landscape. Make adjustments as needed to achieve the desired effects.
Balance Light Intensity:
Ensure that you give a balanced distribution of light throughout the landscape by avoiding overly bright spots or areas with insufficient lighting. Aim for a harmonious and comfortable lighting scheme that enhances the overall outdoor experience.
Now, once you know the placement of lights and how you can use them for nighttime glow, check these eight types of landscape lighting you can use:
- Floodlights: Floodlights have a higher beam spread than other lights (approximately 120 degrees) and can cover larger areas of your home. These lights are an excellent choice if you are looking for more security and safety.
- Spotlights: Spotlights are used to light up specific areas; they emit a beam of not more than 45 degrees. These are ideal for highlighting a specific portion of your yard or an architectural detail.
- Path Lights: Path lights are compact lights designed specifically for illuminating walkways and sidewalks. These lights are commonly placed into the ground for easy installation. They work wonderfully for lighting up the pathway making your home well-lit, and ensuring safety. However, when it comes to illuminating the exterior of your home itself, other types of outdoor lighting are more suitable as they are mostly used on paths.
- Inground lights: Inground lighting serves as a great combination of path lights and spotlights. Similar to path lights, it effectively brightens driveways and walkways. However, the lighting can also put light on nearby objects like trees and house exteriors. These lights are installed into the ground and point upwards to create a subtle yet impactful light for both pathways and surrounding features.
- Hardscape lights: Hardscape lights are installed directly on your home to illuminate its exterior walls. These lights serve a decorative purpose more than a functional one, and a well-designed landscape lighting plan balances both aesthetics and practicality.
Planning to take your yard to the next level? Talk to experts!
