Thanks to the perfect lighting, the interiors of your home can look cozy and warm at night. On the other hand, if there is no adequate lighting, your property’s exteriors can tell a different story.
If you want to know more about adding lights to your current landscape design, this article summarizes some tips that can help you.
Why is Lighting Important in Landscape Design?
Few people know the importance of lighting in landscape design. For instance, adding floodlights to a property can increase property values, promote security, and expand your enjoyment of the nighttime environment around your house. Dark driveways and gardens do little in giving a visual appeal to your property when seen by passers-by.
On the other hand, outdoor lighting makes the exterior spaces usable at night. It’s going to be challenging to hold a garden dinner at night without sufficient illumination in the area. The balance, beauty, focal points, and composition of exterior lighting can create an evening ambiance that is worthy of admiration around the neighborhood.
Tips to Add Lighting Fixtures in Landscape Design
Installing exterior lighting fixtures to landscape design adds beauty and curb appeal to a home. Lights that are strategically placed in your exterior surroundings can add a layer of safety to the property. Here are four tips to help you get started about adding lighting fixtures to your home’s landscape:
Understand Your Need for Landscape Lighting
Before you start shopping for landscape lighting fixtures, you should ask yourself the following question: What is your intended purpose for adding exterior illumination? Is it to prevent injury or burglary? Is it to increase the artistic value of the property?
Perhaps, you want to set up a romantic mood in your backyard once the sun goes down. Or you might want to create a space for barbecues in your lawn and grill steaks at night. Or perhaps your aim to put in lights is to create deterrents against intruders, thieves, or other criminal elements.
In any case, ensure that you clearly define the purposes of your landscape lighting. This first step can lead your way into a beautifully lit landscape after you have completed the installation of exterior lighting fixtures.
Create a Sketch of the Yard
Arbitrarily placing lights on your lawn can be a recipe for disaster. This is one reason why it is important to use a sketch of the yard when creating your exterior lighting plan. You don’t need to be a Picasso or Rembrandt to create a rough sketch of your garden. All that you need to do is to make sure and define the areas where the lights will go to achieve your intended lighting purpose.
Include in your sketch any existing lights, along with any existing pieces of outdoor furniture, trees, shrubs, and other key elements that can absorb or reflect light differently.
For example, consider installing LED lighting in front of small shrubs to make them look more dramatic. At the same time, you may want to add underwater lighting to swimming pools or fountains to create dramatic illumination.
For these exterior lighting fixtures to help beautify your home, you need a clearly defined plan where the lights should go. Otherwise, the entire lighting system may look careless, directionless, and the effects of illumination will not be as dramatic as a well-planned lighting system.
Know the Type of Landscape Lighting You Need
After you create a plan for positioning the lights, the next task is to know how the beams will be focused on each landscape element. Different lighting fixtures are available on the market and you need to be familiar with them to help create your lighting plan. Here are some basic types of lighting equipment that you might need for your landscape design.
- Spotlights or floodlights – These lighting fixtures create a broad beam spread. Some spotlights or floodlights can have a light beam spread of up to 120 degrees.
- Inground lighting – These are lights that present circular illumination. These fixtures can be directly installed into the ground and are ideal for illuminating driveways and walkways.
- Post lights – These are outdoor lighting fixtures that can help accent pathways in homes. Combine post lights with floodlights to help illuminate long stretches of space.
Make sure and complement your chosen lighting fixtures with other landscape design factors. Your yard should exude a unified and harmonious look with the addition of the new lights.
Other Important Considerations
At the same time, think about the other essential factors related to the installation of lighting fixtures in your landscape design. Some of the things you may want to consider are:
- Size – Consider height when choosing landscape lighting fixtures. For example, path lights at about 14 inches high can create a beautiful, even glow in the surroundings.
- Materials – You’d want outdoor lights that can withstand the elements over a long period of time.
- Scale – The diameter of your preferred lights will play vital roles in your grand outdoor design. Spacing is crucial to avoid the lights seeming too overcrowded.
Lighting fixtures in the landscape will help create additional beauty and safety for your property. Make sure to understand your need for new lights before you shop for fixtures. Also, know the type of landscape lighting you need so as to get excellent value for money. Follow these tips, and you’ll marvel at your landscape when the sun goes down as your new lights illuminate your yard.
