There’s more to a beautiful landscape than vibrant trees, pristine pathways and manicured lawns. With modern landscape lighting, you can showcase all of these thoughtful elements long after the sun sets. But how do you achieve the best design for your property? These tips should help.
How to Design Outdoor Lighting
1. Use a professional lighting designer and installer.
This should come as no surprise but the key to truly exquisite outdoor lighting design is a professional touch. An expert’s knowledge and expertise will help you create just the look you want, from the hues to energy efficiency and safety considerations.
2. Choose the right color temperature.
When designing modern landscape lighting, it’s important to understand color temperature, the effects of various types of light, and the light sources they use. The fixtures you choose have different color temperatures that set different moods. Lower temperatures tend to produce a warmer amber light, while higher temperatures produce a cooler, whiter light. Be sure to keep consistency between fixtures to achieve the right color balance.
3. Place your lighting fixtures wisely.
Your home is the centerpiece of your landscape, which makes lighting it up essential. One of the best exterior house lighting tips is to position lighting fixtures so that they highlight walls of the house as well as architectural features. Avoid grouping fixtures together, which can lead to over-illumination and end up drawing attention to the lights themselves. When lighting other elements like tees or pathways, add balance and subtlety by diffusing the light.
4. Add contrast.
Incorporating shadows and layers of light can add a more dramatic effect. If you position several spotlights at different angles toward a garden statue or topiary, you’ll reveal lovely silhouettes and depth. Having a plan that blends primary, secondary and background lighting with dark areas can achieve an elegant look.
5. Balance lighting power with energy efficiency.
Gone are the days when LED lighting meant a harsh blue light. For a warmer tone, there are plenty of LED options to choose from, all of which use much less energy than the incandescent bulbs typically used in landscape lighting.
If you’ve been wondering how to design outdoor lighting, be sure to contact a professional outdoor lighting company. From exterior house lighting tips to a complete design and installation, the more knowledge that goes into the design, the more effective the overall effect will be.