The exterior of your home is its first overall impression. In addition to a beautiful lawn and hardscaping, outdoor landscape lighting can make a significant impact. While illumination is important for function, it’s also a wonderful way to add elegance to your outdoor environment. Here are a few ways you can light up your landscape.
Exterior Lighting Ideas
1. Porch Lighting
Lighting can make time spent on the porch more enjoyable. One of the best options is an outdoor fan light, ideal for both cooling down and brightening the porch space. This type of lighting will have more of an impact than you may think. It’s no longer just a safety element, it’s decorative as well. With different styles, sizes, colors, and placements, and lighting fixtures, it can make a big difference in your home’s appearance.
2. Front Door Lighting
Provide a warm welcome with some beautiful front door lighting. Depending on the style of your home and front entryway, there are different options for style, size, and placement. You can choose to hang lights, mount them to the siding or both, as long as it blends with the rest of your home. Consider hanging lights, such as lanterns and pendants for tall entryways and porches that need space to be filled. You can also mount the fixture on a post (also known as pier mount lights) made of stone or brick, which becomes the accent piece of the yard.
3. Landscape and Garden Lighting
Enhance your landscape with post lantern lights, path lights, and well lights. Even during the day, when they’re not lit up, they can add that something extra and bring attention to the green grass and/or garden. With outdoor landscape lighting, you can enjoy your environment late into the evening, especially if you host gatherings in the yard. Adding lighting beyond the typical one or two lights can provide extra security as well, especially if they’re motion sensored or automatically light up when the sun goes down.
4. Deck Lighting
You have many backyard lighting options to illuminate your deck or patio, including lamp posts, hanging lanterns, lanterns attached to your home, string lighting, fire pits, candles, tiki torches, surrounding garden lights and more. You can also change them from season to season if you’re looking to update the space.
5. Front Walkway Lighting
If you have a walkway from the street or driveway to your front door, or areas of your backyard, it’s a good idea to illuminate it. Walkway lights keep your family, guests and your landscaping features safer, as well as enhancing the visual appeal of your yard. The key is choosing the right path lights for your project to ensure proper illumination and a look that will complement your landscaping and your home’s architectural features. For instance, if your pathway features dark or gray stone or concrete, consider using white path lights that will easily stand out. Space the path light evenly on both sides of the walkway to ensure each step is well-lit. Path lights that cast illumination on angle will cover more area for wide pathways.
6. Staircase Lighting
In most cases, lighting for staircases isn’t purely a decorative theme, it also serves a very real function in terms of safety. When considering staircase lighting, the design of the staircase, construction, and desired effects are the key elements, along with finish and texture. It should be functional and sculptural, and this type of exterior lighting can make a real difference.
Outdoor Landscape Lighting Doesn’t Have to Be a Splurge
Outdoor lighting isn’t necessarily a splurge—it can save you from tripping on a dark pathway or fumbling to find the right key. It enhances home security, and it can even light up a party. If you do want to splurge, smart front yard and backyard lighting can take it to another level with automation, remote controls, and other convenience features. It all comes down to your needs and style.