Use landscape lighting in your front or backyard to highlight aspects of your exterior that were previously only seen during the day. The lighting can be designed and positioned to create even more beauty in your outdoor spaces by focusing on the attractive objects and leaving the trash cans and storage shed in the shadows. This way you, your family, and guests enjoy the features of the outdoor space that you choose.
In addition to creating beautiful, well-lit spaces outdoors, landscape lighting also provides safety for moving about at night. Forget about those days carrying a flashlight into the backyard or misjudging where the steps start by getting professionally installed landscape lighting to illuminate your path.
Use LEDs for Longer Bulb Life and Lower Energy Consumption
Before we get into the different types and purposes of lighting, we want to note that LEDs will last much longer the traditional CFL bulbs. Additionally, they consume much less energy. With the expanding options for color, brightness, and size of LEDs, they are a far superior bulb choice for your landscape lighting.
Layering Lighting
We’re accustomed to seeing the world as a mix of dark and bright spaces. The light of the sun doesn’t discriminate, so objects and shapes create a mix of light textures that helps us interpret our three-dimensional world.
Adding layers into landscape lighting can help do the same on a small scale at your home. Layering different lighting makes the interior and exterior spaces seem larger by allowing the eyes to see indoors and outdoors through glass windows.
Purposes of Landscape Lighting
Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting provides the main outdoor living spaces with ample light for gatherings. Lights used for this purpose vary in brightness and color. Their primary purpose is the give the space enough light for the people to see and interact with each other.
Typically, ambient lighting is placed around or positioned towards tables or other seating. Common ambient lighting fixtures include:
- Floodlights
- String lights
- Floor lamps
Task Lighting
Task lighting brightens functional pathways and objects. Often task lighting is less bright and intrusive, providing just enough light for someone to see where they are going.
Path lighting is a type of task lighting where lights are placed along a set path. These lights serve to add beauty as well as safety. They should keep you and your guests from missing steps or running into trees or bushes. Path lighting is usually minimal and can enhance design elements like a magnificent stone walkway.
The following are examples of common fixtures used for task lighting:
- Post lighting
- Well lighting
Accent Lighting
Accent lighting adds depth and sparkle to the overall scene. These simple elements can transform a space by bringing attention to a special object or uniquely employing light. They create a desirable and dramatic layer. If you have an interesting feature or object in your outdoor space, you can bring even more focus to it at night by manipulating the light around it. Adding accent lighting makes your outdoor spaces look beautiful and magical.
The elegance and magnificence that accent lighting creates instantly makes your exterior feel upgraded and exclusive. Some popular fixtures to provide accent lighting include:
- Uplighting – Add an exterior layer when viewed from the interior. These are dramatic and should be used sparingly. Often used on trees to create a magical blend of light and shadows amongst the leaves.
- Object lighting – This allows us to understand the space better. It acts as a sculptural outdoor luminaire, creating interesting shadows that produce beauty.
Get a Professional to Install Your Landscape Lighting
Landscape lighting can add incredible value to your home, but also provide you with more enjoyment of your outdoor spaces. To ensure that the lighting looks beautiful and works properly, it’s best to hire a professional.
At Colvin Electric, we help develop plans for landscape lighting and then do all the installation as well. Our clients love seeing their space light up for the first time when we finish their project. It really brightens our day!
If you’re interested in landscape lighting for your outdoor space, contact us at Colvin Electric to start discussing options.