TIPS FOR CHOOSING OUTDOOR LIGHTS
Equally, the different forms of lights are suitable for
specific placement. For instance, wall sconces for exterior walls, low-level
path lights on stairs, floodlights on driveways, and string lights on patios or
gazebos. In general, though, you need to have a single priority in mind; have a
good idea of what you want to accomplish with your outdoor lighting so that you
can pick the right lights for the correct location
The location or placement of your outdoor lighting should go
hand in hand with the purpose of the fixture. Before you make any purchase, you
need to be clear on its intended use. For instance, wall sconces and lights
will help to improve the visual attractiveness of your outdoor area, while
security lights and floodlights will help to improve the safety and security of
your home.
It’s common for people to shop outdoor lights based on
visual elements such as style and finish. While the design of the fixture is a
good place to start, another area of equal importance is the size. Here, we are
referring to the size of the fixture in proportion to your house. For instance,
a fixture can appear gigantic and vibrant in a showroom, but when mounted on
your entryway, it suddenly looks small and insignificant.
When choosing your fixture, you want something that will
match the existing style of the space or complement the surroundings it will be
added to.
Motion Sensors
Motion sensors are triggered by movements, making them ideal
security lights for walkways. Also, their brightness over a large area makes
them ideal for lighting the entryway into your home.
Outdoor lighting buying guide
Stay safe and have fun with our garden lighting options
Enjoy your garden after dark by introducing some outdoor
lighting. It not only helps you move around your space safely, illuminating
paths and changes in level, it can also help create an atmosphere for
socialising or dining. Be it for fun family parties; romantic, intimate dinners
or quiet, relaxing time alone. And with such a range of designs on offer,
garden lighting can become an attractive feature to complement contemporary or
more classic garden styles.
What area do you want to light?
The area in need of lighting often determines what lighting
type would work best in this space. So, if you’re looking to light up a path
for example, this would require navigational lighting that helps people stay
safe and easily follow the route, rather than a decorative alternative that
might only illuminate a portion of the path. So, have a think about your space
and how you use it to shape your lighting design.
Do you want your lights to be portable?
When it comes to whether or not you can move your outdoor
lighting around, power source plays a large part. Fixed, electrical lights need
to be connected to the mains making them the ideal choice if you want lighting
close to the house. Whereas candles, battery or solar-powered lighting have no
restrictions and can be moved around as, and when, you like. So, if the area
you want to light is a distance from your home, or you want to be able to
adjust your lighting based on what you’re doing, choose one of these options.
Electrical lighting
Mains power provides consistent and uninterrupted lighting
which will burn brightly and for us long as you want it to. Being a permanent
fixture, it has to be fixed into place and be properly fitted.
Solar-powered lighting
Solar-powered lights don’t need any wiring as they store
sunlight energy in a battery, which is activated once the sun goes down. Due to
improvements in technology, solar lights are now more powerful and last longer
than they once did, so there’s no need to buy any to keep in reserve or worry
about whether they’ll last into the night.
Vital Things to Consider When Choosing Outdoor Lighting
When it comes to considering lighting up our homes, we often
give priority to interior light fixtures like table lamps, chandeliers,
recessed lights and standing lamps but we don’t put too much effort into
selecting the outdoor lighting. This is because we use the interior areas of
our abode more compared to the outdoor areas.
Nonetheless, the outdoor lighting is equally important for
your home just like the interior lighting. That’s because the outdoor lighting
illuminates the exterior and helps in providing better vision at night to the
entryways, walkways, and pathways. Moreover, choosing the right outdoor
lighting also adds beautiful accents during dusk and nighttime while letting
you transform the backyard, lawn, or garden areas of your house.
Go for big fixtures but not too big
We understand that you have a large space outside your
house, and you can surely add large lighting fixtures but in most cases,
putting up “too big” outdoor lights ruins the look of your house. For instance,
you don’t want to fix large lighting fixtures that block the doorway. Here, you
need a fixture that will only go about a quarter of the doorway. You can use
large fixture (if you are only using one fixture) otherwise, medium ones are
way better since they won’t look over-the-top and only provide lighting in a
focused area
Color of the lighting fixture
Just like the indoor lighting, you’d not want to clash the
color of the lighting fixture with your walls. Instead, lights must complement
the look of your exterior walls and the landscape. Quality lighting fixture
makers offer you different resources that can help in creating a landscape that
can complement with most attractive lighting installations. Just like
landscaping and perfectly timed lawn care, the right fixture can indeed enhance
the entire look of your house.
The style of your home
It is important to consider the overall style and look of
your home before you head on shopping for outdoor lighting. If you have Cape
Cod kind of style, the mission style fixture will not look good. Carriage style
lighting may be too much for an English bungalow. So, pick outdoor lighting
that matches the style and the color of your home.
Landscape Lighting Guide
Landscape lighting can be the thing that takes your backyard
from basic to bling, but undertaking a lighting plan for your yard can be an
intimidating project. But have no fear, as this need not be the case. Welcome
to Landscape Lighting 101, where we’ll walk you through a basic overview of the
various types of lighting you’ll find in a landscape and exactly what each of
them is supposed to do
Like many things in life, less can be more—and this is the
case when it comes to landscape lighting. Your instinct might be to light up
everything: every detail, every tree, every nook and every cranny. But besides
potentially running up your power bill, this will wash the yard out.
What makes a space special during the night is the play of
light and dark, highlighting features that you may not take note of during the
day and creating contrast and shadows using the forms and plants in your yard.
Playing with these elements creates intrigue and drama, and a well-lit space
will often be one in which you want to stay.
What to Light In Your Landscape
So what do you light and what do you leave in the dark?
Identify the features in your yard that you like. Maybe it’s
a pond or a particularly stately tree—highlighting those with light will show
them off.
How To Choose Landscape Lighting
Outdoor living spaces are becoming an integral part of how
we live and increasingly an extension of our indoor spaces. Homeowners now have
a multitude of landscape lighting options for illuminating their gardens,
walkways, patios, and decks.We spoke with Douglas Prexta, sales manager of
landscape lighting at Hinkley Lighting, and Scott Sorensen, vice president of
sales at BEGA, about key considerations in selecting landscape lighting.
Douglas Prexta: It enhances the beauty of your
surroundings—objects, fountains, architecture, and landscaping—after the sun
goes down and increases the value of your home. It expands your outdoor living
space and adds hours to your outdoor activity. Also, creating illuminated
architectural features like walkways, driveways, steps, decks and stairs can ensure
safe passage from one point to another while adding security.
Are there any trends driving landscape lighting today?
DP: LED has changed the industry dramatically. The main
disadvantage with low-voltage products in the past was voltage drop: the flickering
that results from resistance in the circuit. However, with most high-quality
low-voltage LED fixtures, the voltage drop concerns have virtually been
eliminated, basically allowing for plug-and-play installations.
What are basic rules of thumb to keep in mind when choosing
landscape lighting?
DP: Work with a knowledgeable designer to lay out and
install the lighting. Remember, you are making investment in your property with
professional-grade product.
What should one know about different voltages and using
electric lights outside?
DP: Because low-voltage landscape lighting is typically
12-24 volts, it’s easy to work with and doesn’t require a conduit (unless
passing through a building or structure). Line voltage, by comparison, requires
professional installation and is much more labor-intensive and expensive. All
low-voltage lighting needs a low-voltage transformer to reduce 120-volts to
12-volts, and it must be plugged into a GFCI (ground fault circuit
interrupter)- protected receptacle. If you are unsure about the installation,
consult a licensed professional.