How do you obtain the best out of your outdoor lighting?
Whether you own a home, a townhouse, or a condominium, you should pay the same care to your outside lighting as your indoor lighting. Indeed, outside lighting offers numerous advantages. However, these advantages are not guaranteed by the mere existence of outdoor lighting solutions. You must properly plan and implement the right fixtures to get the best illumination.
Seek a Balance between Security and Aesthetics
Simply walking around your home in the evening with a torch is an excellent starting point. Take notice of dark spots that should be illuminated for security and landscape and gardens that could be illuminated for added beauty or intrigue. Consider the several forms of lighting, such as ambient, task (helps you do certain chores, such as cooking), and accent lighting (to add flair to landscape or architectural features).
Don’t forget to illuminate locations such as the main door, pool, stairs, pathways, garage doors, paths, address plates, flagpoles, decks or patios, landscaping, and outdoor food preparation areas. In determining where light is needed, you must also evaluate beam angles. Direct lighting is not always the best, as you don’t want it to glare in people’s eyes; diffused or ambient lighting may be preferable.
Determine which outdoor furnishings will work best in your space
Several external light fittings can be utilised in numerous ways. In addition to the pendant, lamp post, ceiling fixture, and wall sconce, other types of lighting are gaining popularity, such as bollard lights, path lights, and uplights (for highlighting water features, greenery or flagpoles).
Determine Your Lighting Design
Would you like your outdoor lighting to resemble your internal lighting to connect the two spaces? Do you want to emphasise a completely distinct architectural style on the exterior of your home? Or, do you prefer a minimalist design in which the fixtures are nearly invisible? As with furniture and contemporary outdoor décor, there are many lighting types, including Modern, Cape Cod, Art Deco, French Provincial, and more. In recent years, the greatest advancement in external lighting is that science has made it as attractive and diverse as internal lighting fixtures. Therefore, you will undoubtedly discover anything to achieve your desired lighting design.
Observe the Outdoor Lighting Ratings
It is crucial to ensure that all outdoor lighting you purchase is wet-rated (meaning it may be used in places exposed to rain) or damp-rated (for use in covered but moist environments). Also, be mindful of any applicable municipal code requirements, such as Night Sky compliance, which mandates that your lighting be oriented downward to minimise light pollution of the night sky.
Enhance Your Home’s Value with a Well-Lit Outdoor Room
Increasing numbers of individuals view their outside environment as an integral extension of their home. According to Realtor magazine, developing an outdoor area is one of the top trends in house purchasing in 2018. An outdoor space is no longer limited to a picnic bench and a tiny grill; it is now a multifunctional place that can be used for food preparation and cooking, is spacious enough for dining and lounging, and includes a hearth item to prolong the season. Creating these spaces and enhancing the surrounding lighting can significantly boost the home’s value and provide your family with years of enjoyment.
Choose energy-efficient choices, such as solar and LED lighting, to illuminate the exterior of your home. Motion-sensing lights only turn on when movement is detected, saving even more energy and costs.