Many homeowners don’t give a lot of thought to outdoor lighting, but a good landscape designer understands that light is a critical part of any space. Think about it: you wouldn’t live in a home without lights, would you? Your front and back yards are extensions of your home, and any landscape designer worth his or her salt understands how important that continuity is.
When it comes to quality, professional landscape lighting, companies that only sell outdoor lights aren’t necessarily the ones to choose. In fact, your best bet is to choose a company with reputable landscape lighting designers on staff. They can help you find a way to make your outdoor living spaces as unique and as different as you want, while contributing to the overall style and feel of your house.
What Great Landscaping Lighting Companies’ Designers Can Do for You
Once you’ve chosen a landscape designer you can trust — through online reviews, recommendations from friends or neighbors, or even by signs on lawns you like — it’s time to discuss your options. The main “rule” landscape lighting designers follow is that your illumination design should enhance your home, not detract from it. For this reason, it’s best to choose a residential landscaping company, as the designers are more likely to be familiar with the area around your home.
Now the fun can start. Your lighting enhancement options may include:
Lighted walkways and pathways. It doesn’t matter what size yard you have: if you have a walkway, you should light it. Not only do uplights and solar lights along stone, brick or cobbled walkways look beautiful, but they also make it easier to see those paths, making them safer for you and your loved ones to use.
Well-lit outdoor living spaces. If you have a patio or deck of any size, you deserve to use it at any time of the day. Outdoor floodlights can be harsh, and can cast shadows on you and your guests. Designers at landscape lighting companies can offer you a variety of options to ensure that your space is warm and inviting, while also being lit well enough that you can see everyone’s face at any time of night.
Highlighting structural pieces. If you have a fountain, a statute, even a leafy oak tree in your yard, your landscape designer may use lighting to make it pop at night. The rights lights make any koi pond look like a rippling oasis, which adds depth a literal sparkle to your space.
Lights that serve as centerpieces. Certain styles of homes are made for post lamps; others for more sleek, modern fixtures. A residential landscaping company can envision what will make your home stand out in a way that seems natural, given the style of your home and your neighborhood.
The creative architects at landscape lighting companies also know what adds value to your home. The right outdoor lighting design not only adds curb appeal because it’s beautiful, but also because it makes your home safer. Lights act as an additional security alarm for your home, and having them professionally installed makes your home less likely to attract burglars or vandals. When you’re ready to add comfort, value and beauty to your home through illumination, it’s time to call a landscape designer to help you.