One way to elevate your exterior living areas is to install landscape lighting. Landscape lights help increase safety and security while improving aesthetics and curb appeal.
As a bonus, some landscape lights are just plain fun.
Today’s outdoor spaces are more than just a yard. They’re an extension of your home.
Similar to your home, they can include kitchens, comfortable seating arrangements, dining areas, fireplaces, and even TVs.
And like your interior spaces, you want them to be safe, functional, and attractive.
We’ve put together a list of some of our favorite outdoor lighting ideas. They can help to bring beauty to your property and give you peace of mind.
Landscape Lighting for Safety
One of the biggest concerns for property owners is security. You want your home or business to be safe. Safe from crime, safe for visitors, and safe for the occupants who live or work there.
The following types of landscape lights help create a secure outdoor environment.
Pathway Lighting
Adding lights to your property’s walkways is one of the most effective ways to improve safety and security. Unlit sidewalks and unpaved paths can be intimidating in the darkness.
In addition, they’re more difficult to navigate, increasing the likelihood of a fall.
A well-lit pathway ensures that people can see where they’re going. Moreover, path lights reveal potential hazards such as exposed tree roots or broken pavement.
Added illumination also helps deter criminals who use darkness as a cover for their unlawful activities. This is essential for both residential and commercial properties.
Outdoor Stair Lights
Each year, there are over 12,000 stairway accidents that result in fatalities. Even a non-fatal fall can result in injury, sometimes serious.
That’s why it’s critical to make sure any outdoor stairs on your property are as safe as possible. In addition to handrails, lights are one of the best ways to improve the safety of your steps and staircases.
There are two basic types of step lighting: recessed and surface mounted. Recessed lighting involves a concealed gang box and flush-mounted faceplate. On the other hand, surface-mounted stairlights sit on top of the surface and are often decorative.
Both options illuminate the steps, allowing people to be more safely navigate them in the dark.
Motion Sensors
Motion sensor lights are an important safety feature. They come on automatically when they detect motion in a certain area.
This is useful as a way to alert property owners that someone or something is moving around outside. They’re also helpful when residents arrive home in the dark or walk outside the front door because they eliminate the need to manually flip switches.
Pool Lighting
A pool can be one of the most important features of a property. Whether it’s municipal or in a residential backyard, pools act as natural gathering spots.
Because pools see a lot of activity, it’s important to make them as safe as possible at all times of day.
Installing lights around the pool’s edge helps ensure people are less likely to fall in. A well-lit pool deck also improves visibility.
If a child, pet, or lone swimmer might be in distress, pool lights can help alert other adults to the problem.
Landscape Lights to Add Curb Appeal
You’ve put a lot of effort into making your home a showplace. It looks great in the daylight, but what about at night?
Landscape lighting is an effective way to help your property shine – literally.
Properly implementing an outdoor lighting plan can make your home stand out from the crowd, even in darkness.
We’ve put together some of our favorite techniques to show off your property’s best architectural and landscape features.
Up Lighting
Have you ever attended a theater production, and noticed the footlights? They’re set at floor level to help illuminate specific parts of the stage. Uplighting your property works similarly.
Uplights are placed on the ground in strategic locations and aimed upward. They’re most often used to highlight columns and other interesting architectural components.
Up lights include bullet lights, which have a narrow beam, and wash lights, which offer more diffuse light over a broader surface. These are often used for wall lighting.
Floodlights spotlight larger areas, and well lights provide a softer uplight.
These lighting types are used in combination to create a cohesive lighting system across the front of your house. They help make your property feel welcoming and safe while showing off its most attractive elements.
Spotlighting
Do you have a large or otherwise interesting tree that’s a focal point of your garden design? Spotlighting is a great way to make your best landscape features stand out at night.
Aiming spotlights at notable trees adds drama to your nighttime landscape. This can be increased with a technique called moonlighting.
Moonlighting adds soft lights that are placed high in trees. These mimic the moon’s soft glow. When combined with spotlights, it can turn your favorite oak into a sensational nighttime spectacle.
What if you don’t have any large or notable trees? Try spotlighting a fountain, water feature, or other significant garden architecture.
Decorative Lamps
We’ve focused on using lights to draw attention to various aspects of your home and property. But what about the lights themselves?
Decorative lamps and lamp posts can add visual appeal even absent illumination. They can help mark driveways, walkways, gazebos, walls, and other parts of your property.
Decorative lamps are available in almost any architectural style. You can find lamps to complement Victorian, traditional, Mission, coastal, and modern aesthetics.
Landscape Lighting for Fun
Outdoor landscape lighting is an important safety feature and can elevate the visual appeal of your home. But more than that, some types of lights are just plain fun.
The following lighting fixtures are a fantastic way to bring a festive touch to your property all year long.
Garden Lighting
A garden is a source of daytime delight. Beautiful blooms and sweet smells captivate the senses.
Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy your garden even at night?
Garden lighting can help make that space accessible, no matter the time of day. LED, low voltage, and solar lighting are all options for creating soft and welcoming illumination.
In addition, garden lights themselves can be festive. They’re available in various shapes and styles. These include mushrooms, dandelions, “enchanted” watering cans, and colored spheres that add a touch of whimsy.
You could even dedicate one section of your garden to the moon, installing nocturnal plants that bloom and release scent at night.
Hanging Lanterns
Beyond simple lights, hanging lanterns elevate your outdoor lighting fun with a vast array of color and design options.
Traditional, Chinese, Moroccan, rustic, and fairy-style lanterns can complement your style or turn your garden into a different world.
Hanging lanterns are available in solar, battery-powered, or hardwired options. They’re a festive way to help turn your outdoor space into a true backyard oasis.
String Lighting
Also known as café or bistro lights, string lights are a popular way to add a decorative touch. Whether permanent or temporary, string lights can make any outdoor area more fun.
Patios, porches, pergolas, and pools can all benefit from the addition of string lighting. They’re easy to install, and the LED light bulbs can withstand almost any weather condition. The bulbs are also available in different colors and color temperatures.
Additionally, their flexible design allows for installation across broad spaces. Form a circus tent effect in your backyard, stretch them across the pool, or add extra light sources to the area around your firepit.
Whatever type of exterior space you have, string lights are an easy way to elevate your outdoor living game.
For more information on outdoor lighting, or to schedule service, contact us at (770) 609-1479. Oasis Landscapes & Irrigation is the best source for all your Atlanta landscaping needs.
