Use the Three Types

The three basic lighting categories are task, ambient, and accent lights.

Task lighting helps you to see while performing a certain activity. For example, it might be for guidance, such as solar stakes along a walkway or stair lights that illuminate the area and prevent dangerous slips and falls. You want to protect yourself and your guests, especially considering one in five falls causes a serious injury.

Ambient or general lighting provides the overall look and glow. In the garden, you can create this effect with post lights or hanging bulbs.

You can achieve accent lighting with the help of an electrical contractor and different landscape kits, such as spotlights.

Decide How Much Light You Need

People often underestimate how much light they’ll need to illuminate a space effectively. Of course, that doesn’t mean going crazy on the lights. Achieve balance by calculating how much wattage you’ll need, spotting particularly dark areas, and noting any features you want to highlight.

A professional landscape lighting company will know how to balance light and darkness to create the perfect mood.

There are also many types of lighting for different areas of an outdoor space. Garden lights bring attention to trees, shrubs, and flowers. They can be decorative, functional, or both.

Save Energy With LEDs

LEDs use up to 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to 25 times longer. When illuminating your garden area, it pays to install LED lights since you’ll get the same amount of light but for less money.

The benefit of working with electrical contractors is that they’ll help you choose the right type and color for the area. Usually, outdoor lighting has a soft and warm glow, which creates an inviting atmosphere. The goal is to make a space that encourages relaxing and enjoying the beautiful garden that you have.

Set the Mood

Gardens naturally have a whimsical and romantic feel to them. You can work with this by adding the right types of lights to the space. String lights are a popular choice that fit perfectly in a garden area.

Consider your preferences as well. Perhaps you want to mimic the look of an old gas lantern and create a vintage vibe, or maybe clean and modern is more your style. You want this to be a space you can enjoy.

Choosing Outdoor Lighting That Suits You

Illuminating your garden with the right outdoor lighting is the perfect way to create a relaxing oasis. Use these tips to ensure you make the most of the area you have.

We can help with all your electrical needs, from landscape lighting to home rewiring. Read our blog on key considerations for outdoor lighting, and then contact us to get a free estimate on a job.

How to Choose the Right Landscape Lighting for Your Home

A high-quality landscape design can improve curb appeal and increase your home’s value by 20-30%. An essential element of your home’s curb appeal is landscape lighting. Adding lights to your property increases safety and improves nighttime curb appeal by adding visibility after the sun sets.

However, you can’t throw a few lights in the yard and call it a day. You need to consider fixture type, light created, and overall design. Follow this guide to choose the right landscape lighting for your home.

Types of Lighting

The type of lighting that you choose will depend on what you want to illuminate. Most outdoor lighting designs use a combination of lighting types. For example, you could have uplights bordering the driveway, string lights in the tree branches, floodlights on the house, and garden lights in the flower bed.

These are some of the most popular types of lights used in outdoor lighting.

Floodlights
Spotlights
Uplights
Downlights
Step lights
Garden lights
Bollard lights
String lights

Outdoor Lighting Styles

The style of your outdoor lighting will depend on your goals. There is no single “best lighting” that will work for everyone. Instead, lighting style is about the impression or mood the lighting creates.

Safety

One of the most popular reasons for adding outdoor lighting is to increase safety. This type of landscape lighting focuses on the areas that people navigate, such as the driveway, walkway, or door. The light is typically bright and broad to illuminate the ground around them.

Accent

This type of lighting is on the minimal side with strategic placement. Each light has the purpose of highlighting a specific feature. A light could illuminate a large tree or hearty shrub full of blooms.

In addition to the landscaping, accent lighting can highlight the home’s architectural features. Depending on the use and placement, accent lights could be bright or dim and focused or broad.

Bold Statement

If you want to make a statement with your landscape lighting, you want a bold style. This is lighting that makes people stop and look.

The light is typically brighter and stronger than other styles. You may also see unique colors and placement.

Natural

This lighting style tries to mimic the lighting that occurs naturally in nature. The lights are soft and hidden, creating gentle illumination. The final effect is similar to the illumination produced during a full moon.

Long-Term Maintenance Requirements

Consider how much time, money, and effort you are willing to put into the long-term maintenance of your outdoor lighting system.

For example, LED bulbs last for tens of thousands of hours. That way, you will rarely need to replace them. Likewise, hardwiring your outdoor lights or installing solar panels will eliminate the need to replace batteries.

Add Landscape Lighting

As you can see, there are plenty of landscape lighting options available. This allows you to create a design that suits the home’s architecture and landscape design. Our experienced team is happy to help owners create designs that suit the homeowner’s style and budget.

Let our expert designers help you create an exterior lighting design.