3 Things to Consider When Lighting Your Patio Area

Almost any homeowner wants to have an outdoor space that’s both highly usable and beautiful. Whether it’s your patio or your backyard, your home’s outdoor areas should be an extension of its interior spaces, where you can entertain guests, enjoy a glass of wine on a cool summer’s night, or just enjoy the wonderful evening air.

One of the best ways to enhance your [city] home’s patio area is with effective lighting, which ensure the space is aesthetically pleasing and safe. Below are a few things to remember when lighting your patio.

Entertainment Area

As the name suggests, this part of the patio is where you will be entertaining guests. Patios with ample seating and lounging furniture are the perfect place for evening gatherings and parties. Since this space is often filled with furniture and decor, you need to be mindful about which light fixtures to use.

Keep in mind that outdoor lighting doesn’t have to have the same level of brightness as indoor lighting. Since your eyes actually adjust to the level of brightness in the environment, placing too many light fixtures outside can cause glare.

• For ambient lighting, a couple of overhead light fixtures are perfect for the job, especially when used alongside outdoor pendants or lanterns.
• You can even use string lights for a daintier look or even a ceiling fan with a light fixture.
• Wall sconces are also a great option for outdoor entertainment areas.

On Safety

If your patio is on a deck or an elevated area, the edges could be a potential hazard. Accidents can happen, and the last thing you want is for people to stumble around in the dark looking for the walkway.

But just because you want everyone to be safe in your patio, doesn’t mean you should go ahead and install flood lights all around. That’s just going to create a lot of ugly glare.

Instead, use landscaping lights, which are actually designed to improve the visibility and add to the beauty of your outdoor paths. Strip lights are another option for this space—they’re commonly used in movie theaters, helping moviegoers walk up the stairs and see where they’re going.

Security

Finally, your patio lights should also factor in security. Doors going into your home, driveway, and side yards going to your patio must always be well lit at all times. These spaces should also have ample ambient lighting.

For starters, you can install a couple of well-placed overhead lights or wall sconces in the patio. Places where you would need to go outside for, such as recycling and trash bins, should also always have light. For areas around your patio where people rarely go to, a great lighting option would be fixtures with motion sensors.

And just so you don’t have to worry about switching on your lights, you can hook your outdoor lights to a light sensor, which ensures your patio area “comes to life” as night falls. This is also a great feature if you’re going on holiday and want to make it seem that someone’s at home. Some automation systems even have dusk and dawn sensors that allow the lights to come on and off depending on the brightness of the environment.

Keep these tips in mind when lighting your patio and other outdoor spaces so you can create a fun, safe, and secure area for you and your guests.