Outdoor lighting brings value to a property in several ways. It raises curb appeal, increases security, and enables your family and guests to safely navigate the landscape after dark.
Depending on where you place your garden lighting, different effects can be achieved. Spotlights can provide a wash, define shape and create silhouettes; lighting from the side can highlight texture.
Lighting for Curb Appeal
Outdoor lighting is one of the best ways to spruce up your home. A well-executed lighting design accentuates architectural detail and highlights landscape features, adding curb appeal while also increasing your home value.
Sconces are a popular option for front doors, or along walkways to the back door and garage. They create a soft wash of light on surfaces and can be angled to provide different effects. For example, lighting an object from the front provides a wash; to the side defines shape; and from behind it casts the object into silhouette.
Landscape lights also add a welcoming glow to a home’s entryway and illuminating stairs reduces tripping hazards. Lighting a driveway, sidewalk and house number helps guests find their way home after dark and can help prevent car accidents. Lights around a fence or hedge define property boundaries and provide a sense of security for homeowners and neighbors. The positioning of these lights is crucial and should be done with a professional.
Lighting for Safety
Many outdoor lighting options feature automatic timers that make them turn on at dusk every night. This can save you money on energy bills and protect your home from burglars.
Illuminating walkways and steps in your yard makes it easier for family members and guests to navigate the area at night. This also eliminates tripping hazards such as hoses, garden gnomes and other decorative items that can be easily tripped over in the dark.
Having well-lit walkways and porches makes it safer to spend time outdoors after dark, which is beneficial for mental health. Sitting outside on a cool autumn or winter evening in a beautifully lit garden is a very enjoyable experience. Having well-lit walkways also deters criminals and home invaders by making it harder for them to sneak up on your property undetected. This is important, especially if you have children or elderly adults living in your home.
Lighting for Entertainment
When it comes to enhancing a garden for nighttime entertainment, carefully planned and installed outdoor lighting ideas can transform a landscape into a magical place. Landscape lights highlight plants, draw attention to textures and shapes, and accentuate features such as fountains and trees, transforming them into dynamic sparkling features.
Landscape lighting also increases visibility, decreasing the risk of family and guests taking a tumble on stairs or in the yard. Running less-bright ground-level lighting along steps and stairways allows people to move safely, while mix-and-matching lit pavers with standard ones on walkways can enhance the look and reduce tripping hazards.
Uplighting, silhouetting and spot lighting are other popular techniques that garden designers use to enhance landscapes for nighttime entertaining. They can illuminate special elements such as trees or sculptures, and they can also add a dramatic dimension to a garden by creating a three-dimensional effect through the interplay of light and shadow.
Lighting for Privacy
A well-lit home is a great deterrent for burglars and other unwanted visitors, so it’s important to consider security as you plan your outdoor lighting. This can be done using motion sensor lights that turn on when they detect movement or bright flood-like light fixtures that help illuminate the ground and discourage criminals from trespassing.
Ensure your lighting doesn’t affect nearby wildlife by positioning lights low, aiming them downwards and fitting hoods to reduce the amount of light that shines into the sky. It’s also worth choosing lighting that is a good match for your garden design. Brightly colored lights can add interest and can be used to create a festive atmosphere.
Garden lighting can transform your landscape at night, illuminating the shape and texture of plantings and decorative features and creating a sense of depth and space with the interplay of light and shadow. To get the most out of your garden lighting, define its purpose before making any purchases, says Jo Mann, founder and designer at Light House Designs.