Just like the interior of your home, your outdoor space should be designed to provide beauty, relaxation, and enjoyment for your family. You’ve already invested in making your deck or patio homey with comfortable seating, plants, and maybe even an outdoor barbecue or pizza oven – but why stop there? Whether you use your outdoor space to spend time with family, entertain guests, or simply enjoy the fresh air, you want to make your outdoor space as inviting as possible, and treating lighting as an afterthought or overlooking it completely is a big mistake. Learn about the top benefits of outdoor lighting below.
Set the Mood
There are many different types of outdoor lighting and creating a lighting plan that comprises multiple types is key for setting the mood in your outdoor space. By selecting the right fixtures for specific areas and precisely adjusting the intensity of the light, you can control the ambiance of the space long after the sun sets. You might use decorative lanterns during a backyard party, overhead area lights turned all the way up while al fresco dining, or dim, twinkling string lights if you are enjoying a romantic glass of wine with your significant other.
Highlight Landscaping
If your landscape is filled with sculptural trees, flowering bushes, or bubbling water features, you can draw attention to them with strategically placed outdoor lighting. Spotlights are an effective and artistic way to engage the eye as they can be used to highlight, shadow, or silhouette these features and offer a variety of bulbs, wattages, and beam widths for different looks. You can subtly emphasize hardscapes like stone walkways, living walls, and outdoor fireplaces with hardscape lights mounted to capstones and overhangs.
Increase Safety
Prowlers, intruders, and thieves choose nighttime for their illicit activities with good reason – when they can’t be seen, they can’t be caught. When your backyard is well-lit, any potential unwanted visitors will be discouraged from entering your property to vandalize your home, steal from you, or commit other crimes. You can install floodlights that illuminate your entire outdoor space or motion sensing lights that are triggered by nearby movement. If you are less concerned with crime and more concerned about your loved ones or guests accidentally tripping and falling, post lights can create a border for pathways and step lights can light up staircase treads.
If you’re ready to take advantage of these benefits, contact Carol’s Colors Landscaping today to discuss your options for adding outdoor lighting to your space. Our team of experienced professionals has the design knowledge and skill to help you determine which lights would work best with your property, install them for optimal illumination, and perform annual maintenance checks to ensure they are working at peak performance all year long.
