A Comprehensive How-To Guide for Outdoor Home Lighting

Creating an outdoor space that’s as beautiful as the inside of your home involves more than just landscaping, outdoor furniture, and décor. These are all important during the day, but what about at night?

This is where outdoor lighting comes in, making your front or backyard look amazing after the sun goes down. Lighting also serves the practical purpose of keeping your outdoor spaces safe and secure. Here’s what you need to know to about lighting your [city] home’s outdoor spaces.

Choose Your Lights Carefully

• LED bulbs are a popular choice for outdoor lighting due to their solid-state technology, which makes them more durable and better-suited for the outdoors. LEDs are also remarkably energy-efficient, using up to 90 percent less energy than traditional incandescent lighting. What’s more, many modern outdoor LED fixtures are able to change colors and work with timers, sensors, and dimmers—things you can use to create all kinds of dazzling lighting effects.
• Reflector lights are another popular choice for outdoor lighting because of their very bright light output. They are ideal for driveways or other larger areas that need generouslighting.

The main difference between reflector lights and LEDs is power consumption. Although reflector lights generate a very bright light, they also consume a lot of electricity. LEDs, on the other hand, are the most energy-efficient lighting solution in the market.

Use Low-Voltage Lights for Accent Lighting

Low-voltage lights are another popular choice of lighting for landscaping, aesthetics, and security. These lights usually require 12 volts of power instead of the 120 volts required by other lights, which eliminates the need to dig deep trenches to hide their wiring. Low-voltage lights are often used for down-lighting (placed under bushes or trees) or up-lighting (hung on trees or strung up with other bulbs and hung from one side of the yard to the other).

Layer Your Lights With Other Lighting Options

Don’t be afraid to mix and match your main outdoor light sources with smaller light fixtures.

• Artisan lights, for example, give your yard a whimsical personality and come in a variety of interesting designs.Place them along pathways or use them to illuminate your outdoor dining area.
• For a grand centerpiece like a fountain, a pond, sculpture, or a topiary, use small spotlights to highlight these focal pieces. This will draw people’s attention to the area and make the piece stand out.
• You can also place waterproof lights in your pond or fountain.
• Hanging Chinese lanterns, sheer globe lights, and fairy lights among others also add a beautiful glow to your outdoor spaces. Use a thicker piece of nylon string to hang them from one end of your yard to the other or hang them from a tree.
• You can also hide light fixtures under rocks or bushes. This hides the device but gives your landscape an ethereal glow at night.

One Final Thing

When it comes to outdoor lighting, always choose light fixtures that are designed for outdoor use. Check the label for waterproof/water-resistance, shockproof, and all-weather features. Good luck and have fun with your outdoor lighting project!