How to choose and install landscape lighting

You should take into consideration that almost every visitor (and in case if your apartment is for sale -- a potential buyer) usually sees your residence in evening, when the most remarkable details may be difficult to distinguish. Well-done garden lighting will highlight the best landscape and constructive features of your house, showing the dwelling perfectly, as well as adding a multiplicity of curb appeal.

There's a very important difference between the lighting under the sunshine and in evening, and the difference is most significant when we talk about illuminating walkways and other outdoor places. But of course, some rules about lighting will always deserve particular attention.

Indoor and garden lights have different peculiar properties. As is known, reflection causes less problems in garden compared with the interior since the facades are commonly dark and never reflect light good enough. On the other hand, location and cover are much more significant in outdoor lighting to avoid too much brightness. A blaze may happen in case if a light source is excessively bright or intense.

Your exterior should not increase your bills for electricity in any case. A good choice is new LED garden lighting. It needs little energy and lasts significantly longer than usual incandescent lamps, so they will reduce your electricity expenses during long-term use. Garden lighting is usually used all night long or at least for a few hours continuously, so it's easy to see that if you choose LED lighting, it can really save your dollars. Nowadays its cost goes considerably down, and besides LED lighting now can have that pleasant warm light which people like so much in traditional lamps.

solar lantern (click to enlarge)

One of the best ways to illumine your garden is to set solar lighting. It is really cost-effective, and the absence of cords is the additional advantage of this type of lighting. Make sure to place the fixtures so that photovoltaic cell will unavoidably receive enough sunshine to work properly all night long.

While lighting can be situated in any place you like, certain space makes it a necessity. We've made a list of such crucial spots:

Entries: Install lights to each side of an entrance door or above the level of the head at front, back, and side entry doors.

Patio or terrace: Lighting can be used to light up particular task spots on a patio or terrace, like a cooking place, and even seatings and handrails. As you may know, it is hard to perform an uplighting outside the house, however it can be used on a patio or terrace to directly highlight an umbrella or terrace "ceiling" to achieve an effect of indirect lighting.

patio lighting

Paths: A well-illuminated pathway is a must, but also it's aesthetically appealing. This type of a landscape lighting welcomes your guests and, of course, makes walking more safe. High lighting isn't very popular, and downlights will protect from flash. You can think about lit pavers if you like such type of lighting.

Trees: Well-lit trees are truly amazing and can give your garden absolutely new look. Watch the pictures of beautifully illuminated trees on our Pinterest board called "Garden Lighting" and discover new creative ideas of highlighting the trees in a unique way.

Steps: Steps should necessarily be illuminated for your safety. You can install lights to illuminate either the steps themselves or the risers.

Driveways: Low-voltage outdoor lighting is a smart decision for using along a road. Think about LED or solar lighting.

Architectural Details: Properly installed landscape lighting may be used to emphasize the walls of a house. There are some interesting techniques to originally highlight a wall. For example, a light which is meant to graze a wall, can produce fascinating shadows and focal points. And when a wide ray of light is pointed at a wall from some distance, it makes a wall wash. Both will grant a little emphasis to nearby trees or flowers.

It's a good idea to diversify the fixtures. You may of course use such common fixtures as floods or spots, but modern designers are now increasingly paying attention to a wide range of fixtures like post mount lights, area lights, step lights or bollards.

Hold on to warm light. A great variety of colors is acceptable, however the most famous designers in the industry are now trying to keep away from anything but white warm light, which is the best to demonstrate the house and garden. Otherwise you risk to create cheap gaudy light show.

highlighting architectural details

Excessively bright light, or inadequately mounted lighting, can cause undesirable light impurity that will be able to cause some significant issues. The excessive light can shine into the interior of your house, interfere viewing the stars, briefly blind you and your visitors, and evidently increase your electricity bills. To prevent light impurity:

Always aim lights with awareness. Place them at night and control their position often.
Manage the illumination. Apart-placed zonal lights equipped with various motion sensors, timers or dimmers, will be able to switch on lights only when it is necessary or let them to be switched off when there no need in them.
Go with shield bulbs. Use equipment which have deflectors and protecting to focus light where you need it.
Diminish wattage. High wattage will produce annoying light and have little or even no impact on aesthetic perception or safety. Low-wattage lamps in most cases will produce an adequate amount of light to grant the beautiful landscape illumination.