Landscape lighting can elevate your exteriors and make them unique and elegant. Modern homes are turning to landscape lighting to transform their exteriors. On those lines, here are top ideas for landscape lighting any homeowner should practice.
Use Eye-Catching Light
Bring creativity to your landscaping lighting. Bring in lights that captivate the eye. The lighting should be interesting and inviting. Don’t go for dull colors. For more charm, contact a professional Landscape Lighting Designer Scottsdale AZ. He/she will help you make the lighting more captivating.
Mark the Parameters
Lighting is all about creating contrasts. So, mark parameters when creating your landscaping lighting design. Between the lights of the walkways, allow some considerable distance. This will naturally lead people down the path. Design the lights in such a way that some can light up the garden while the rest will, be casting lighting into the paths. This gives your visitors information as far as the route they should follow is concerned. Also, when designing your lights consider the natural moonlight.
Consider Mixing Styles
Don’t use one style when designing landscaping lighting. Go for different styles. Mixing styles when lighting path lights in one scene make the outdoors more exciting. Also, the lamp surfaces should be cleaned regularly. All burned out bulbs should be replaced. Do away with plants that block your lights.
Less Can Be More
The way you place your path lighting fixtures is important. Whether you are going for inexpensive lights or these pricier fixtures, getting it right with your path lighting is extremely important. So, don’t clog these fixtures. Sometimes, fewer can be better. So, be economical when placing your path lighting fixtures.
Color and Texture Should Be Added
Of course, path lights are used to offer visual aids—especially when it comes to dark spaces. However, this doesn’t mean that you cannot bring in colors in the equation. Consider adding colors to those plants. Doing this can bring visual charm to your garden and make your outdoor spaces more exciting.
Use What You Have
If you don’t have enough lighting, you can work with what is there. For instance, it’s not a must to light every inch in the landscape. Instead, you can uplight trees and use downlighting from the house—it will create ample lighting when it comes to the walkways. You can use lights sparingly and achieve more aesthetics in your outdoors.
Moon Lighting
If you are creative enough, why not consider moonlighting. You can place lights high on trees to bring the effects of moonlight. However, ensure that these lights are placed as high as 3- to 40 feet high for maximum effects. Taking the lights high on trees is one of the best ways to illuminate the walkways. Even more, you can use lights featuring a high color temperature—preferably more than 5500 kelvins—to make the moonlight look cool.
Indirect Lighting Can Bring More Magic
Of course, moonlight is ideal for sitting areas. This is because they don’t have harsh bulbs to bring that glare. However, going for indirect lighting can help bring that cozy, intimate feel in your outdoors. So, do your research and bring the best indirect lights into your outdoors. They will hugely benefit the outdoors in terms of aesthetics and coziness.
Warm, Cool Lighting Is the Way to Go
The candlelight is located at the end of the moonlight spectrum. Featuring around 2000 kelvins, Candlelight can bring more charm to your outdoors. Candlelight is a combination of overhead moonlight and warm candles to come with with a nice pop up of lighting in your exteriors.
Fireplace Lighting Cannot Disappoint
You have an external fireplace, right? Well, you need it to light it like a pro. It also needs creativity when it comes to landscaping lighting. Here, you can bring in moonlight lighting and spotlight it from a tall eave. Also, you can consider bringing lighting to the pergola. But if you bring in a dimmer switch, it will make your pergola even more captivating. Get creative and make the fireplace hot with landscaping lighting.
Don’t Forget Hardscape Lighting
An outdoor tape, a flexible range of LED fixtures encased in a silicon fixture, can be used as hardscape lighting. This lighting is enclosed—which plays a key role when it comes to barring moisture from coming into contact with the bulbs. This lighting requires some electrical experience. So, if you don’t have this experience, hire an expert in lighting. There are a few installation procedures that you may not understand.
Work On Your Water Features
If you want your water features to stand out, consider lighting them from within and uplift. Remember, a water feature can act as the focal point of your home. So, get creative and bring in the best landscape lighting in these areas.
Light Up the Wide Areas
Consider lighting the whole scene. Don’t just focus on one feature. Light up the outdoors with the whole scene in mind. Up lit all trees to create a balance. For instance, you can use a more lumen intensity as well as a wide lamp—it will help in spreading the light across the trees. Also, consider lighting evergreens. Here, you can go for a blue lens—they are effective in intensifying the green light.
Light Objects
You can also up light objects like statuaries and trees. Here, using warm yellow or orange light is the best way to light these objects. You can also go for cool lights (i.e. white or blue). These colors are effective in lighting plants. Also, before installing objects, plan first. Plan how you will light that object. For instance, plan how to light statutes. Remember, the best direction to view statues is in a given direction. So, having an elaborate plan will help you light them better.
Other Ideas
Also, consider the following ideas when doing your landscaping lighting:
- Used balanced lighting to light islands in a pond
- Consider adding depth to your exterior lighting
- Creating shadows is the way to go
- Highlight hydrangeas
- Create a good silhouette
- Go for dramatic doors
The Bottom-Line
The above landscaping lighting ideas are all you need to give your outdoors an uplift. From using eye-catching light to lighting objects—these ideas can hugely transform your home.