Exterior lighting is something we know we should invest attention to but usually remains in the back of our minds as we are preoccupied with other home improvements. But truth is, properly lighting the outside of our home is just as important as lighting the inside. Good exterior illumination ensures a smooth transition between your indoor and outdoor space when the night rolls in. Moreover, a well-executed outdoor lighting plan can transform a bland run-of-the-mill front yard to an inviting and safe entrance.
The outside areas of our home, such as steps, walkways, driveways, patios and gazebos deserve our complete attention because these are areas people pass through or relax at and therefore should be clearly lit and accident free. But besides making outdoor spaces safer for everyone, a smart lighting scheme can enhance the curb appeal of a house. Let’s take a look at the best lighting solutions you can harness.
First of all, think of the type of lights that are best suitable for outdoors, not their fittings or design for that matter, but the technology they use to operate. In the past, halogen and incandescent models were the only exterior lights available. However, lighting production has greatly evolved thanks to the introduction of LED. Today, LED outside lights are regarded as the most durable and energy-efficient option out there. They boast an incredible lifespan of 50 000 hours and can reduce electricity bills by up to 45%. However, the thing that makes LED outside lights the right choice for your yard, is their supreme robustness which can withstand all kinds of extreme weather conditions such as heavy rain, snow or hail.
As far as fittings go, different areas can benefit from different designs. Let’s start with the front porch. Because it’s the most frequently used outdoor area, it needs to be illuminated adequately for both safety and appeal. Regarding safety, LED outside lights can achieve the best illumination, therefore LED wall lights or lanterns on each side of the door are a must. If you find an extremely luminous option, you can even use a single LED lantern to light the whole front porch. In that case, bump up the size to one-third of the door so that you can make a big impact.
In the case or areas that people use as passageways, such as steps or walkways, a small unobtrusive option that can safely lead you to where you’re going is enough. LED strip lights snaking along the sides of a walkway can be a great visual cue to the destination point, while also functioning as an interesting decorative element. Coming in a range of colour choices, LED strip lights can be the much needed wow-factor in your garden. But if you simply aren’t bold enough to go with this playful option, you can use subtle path lights or step lights to make nocturnal passageways safer and more appealing.
Last but not least, let’s not forget landscape lights. These lights do not have to be too bright, because their only role in your garden is to be accent lights that enhance the beauty of landscape features such as trees, bushes and flower beds. Uplight feature lights can lit up the plants and make them look spectacular. Moreover, the shadow play created by the light and the plant foliage that reflect on the walls or ground can make for a mystical atmosphere. The lawn and flower beds can become more exciting with the addition of spiked lights that let out soft flickers of light resembling fireflies. Spiked LED outside lights can be easily positioned into any type of soil and need only a few wires to install. Dark hedges and trees can become instantly more romantic with fittings mounted on their branches or LED strip lights winding up the trunks.
