How To Design Outdoor Lighting

How To Design Outdoor Lighting

Introduction

The right kind of lighting can turn a simple backyard into an oasis. Landscape lighting is easy to install, but it doesn’t have to look like your typical yard lights. You can add some personality and flair with modern LED lights that cast interesting shadows or create a dramatic glow at night. The idea behind landscape lighting is to enhance the natural beauty of your property—not distract from it! Here are our tips for making sure your outdoor space looks gorgeous all day long:

Light up your outdoor space with these tips from the pros.

Lighting is a great way to add personality and style to your outdoor space. It can be used to create ambiance, highlight features and even provide security.

Here are some tips from the pros on how to design outdoor lighting for your home:

  • Use lights strategically to highlight features you want people to notice when they look at your home – this could be something like an attractive garden or pool area, or it could be something less obvious like an interesting exterior wall or stone patio that you’d like people passing by on the street (or in their cars) to see up close. You could also use lights as a way of making sure there are no dark corners where someone might hide if they’re trying break into your house at night!
  • Use spotlights in combination with other types of lighting so they don’t overpower each other – this will help create balance between different areas within the same space while still keeping things interesting visually.”

Landscape lighting should be subtle, not distracting.

When it comes to your landscape lighting, less is more. The goal of exterior lighting should be to create a soothing ambiance that enhances your home’s appearance and makes it feel warmer and cozier. In addition, you want your outdoor lights to be subtle enough so they don’t distract from the overall effect you’re trying to achieve with the landscaping.

You should place lights where they won’t be seen unless someone looks directly at them–which means not over pathways or walkways that people will use regularly (and which may be illuminated by other sources). You also want them far enough away from neighboring houses so that their own residents aren’t distracted by them either. Finally: make sure all of these considerations are taken into account when choosing what kind of bulb(s) will illuminate each fixture!

Start by choosing the right type of light.

The first thing to consider is the type of light you want to use. Outdoor lighting should be subtle and not distracting, so choose a light that is appropriate for the purpose. For example, if you’re going to be using it as an accent piece in your garden or patio area, then something like a decorative wall sconce may be more suitable than a floodlight or spotlights because they offer more subtlety and elegance.

If it’s going on your front porch or decking area outside your house then perhaps consider using LED strip lights instead as these will give off less heat (which can cause damage) compared with halogen ones which require regular maintenance due to their glass-like bulbs breaking over time due to temperature changes outdoors – this means less money spent on replacing them frequently!

Think about color and brightness depending on where you live.

  • Think about color and brightness depending on where you live.
  • If you live in a warm climate, you need more light.
  • If you live in a cold climate, you need less light.
  • The color temperature of incandescent light bulbs is around 2700K (kelvin), which is very yellow/orange compared to LEDs that can be 3000K or higher on the Kelvin scale, which gives off a bluer hue than traditional incandescent bulbs do.

Use the right light bulb for your purpose.

  • Use the right light bulb for your purpose.

Light bulbs come in a variety of different wattages, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. You’ll want to choose the correct one based on what you’re trying to do with it:

  • Low-voltage lights are good for outdoor use because they’re less likely to get damaged by rain or high winds than incandescent bulbs (which can crack when exposed). They also tend to be more expensive than other options because they use more energy efficient LED technology (which tends to cost more).
  • High pressure sodium bulbs are best suited for areas where there aren’t many trees around–they won’t cast as much shade onto your path as incandescent lamps would!

Don’t forget about light placement.

Light placement is a crucial factor for outdoor lighting. You want to make sure that your lights are placed in a way that makes sense for the space and purpose of your outdoor area, as well as taking into consideration weather conditions and time of day.

  • Consider the purpose of your outdoor space: If you have an entertainment area where people will be spending time at night, consider placing lights over tables or seating areas so they can see what they’re doing while eating dinner or playing games together with friends. If you have an area where pets are allowed to roam freely during the day but locked up at night, consider installing motion-detecting floodlights on top of fences so dogs won’t be able to jump over them without being seen (and deterring burglars).
  • Consider time of day: Lighting up early mornings/late evenings means less light pollution but also less visibility–so if safety is a concern (for example if there’s no sidewalk), then consider adding brighter options closer toward dusk until late evening hours when most people aren’t out walking around anyway!

The right kind of lighting can turn a simple backyard into an oasis.

Outdoor lighting is not just for safety. It can add ambiance to your backyard, highlight certain areas of your yard and even create a romantic atmosphere.

The right kind of lighting will make your yard look bigger, so if you have a small space but want it to feel like it’s bigger than it really is then consider adding some extra lights around the perimeter of the area.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to design outdoor lighting, it’s time to get started. We hope these tips have given you some inspiration and ideas on how best to light up your backyard oasis!