Plants often take center stage when it comes to landscaping, but exterior lighting adds both aesthetic and functional benefits to your home. Landscape lighting ranges from small solar lights that need no wiring to wall-mounted lights that are hardwired into your home’s electrical system. Understanding the advantages of outdoor lighting helps you choose the type of lighting that matches your needs.
Appearance
The obvious advantage to landscape lighting is the enhancement to your home’s appearance. The lights make your home and landscaping visible even after dark. When positioned properly, landscape lights make architectural features of the home pop out. Lights pointed at your favorite plants make the most of your landscaping at all times of night and day. Outdoor lights add a sense of drama to your landscaping. The illumination makes your house stand out by boosting the curb appeal at night.
Functionality
Landscape lighting increases the functionality of your outdoor spaces. With proper lighting, you can use your front and backyard long after the sun goes down. Flood lights attached to the house provide a large amount of general light to brighten a patio area or a portion of the yard. Lights attached to deck posts illuminate the area for late-night dining or conversations. For additional lighting around a patio table, special lights are available to attach to the table umbrella.
Home Security
Lights illuminating your home’s exterior makes the house less of a target for crimes like vandalism or burglary. A criminal cannot approach your home as easily and has fewer hiding spots in the landscaping with a well-lit exterior. Illuminating entrance points, like doors and windows, with lights makes it difficult for a potential burglar to break in unnoticed. When choosing where to place landscape lighting for security, consider the darkest areas of the yard and the places near the home where a burglar could enter.
Personal Safety
The safety of your family and guests when outside or entering the home is another benefit of outdoor lighting. Home exteriors are full of potential dangers, like stairs, drop-offs, pools and tripping hazards. Lighting near those hazards makes them visible to prevent a fall or other injury. Lights that illuminate the driveway, walkways and house numbers allow visitors to find your home safely and with ease.
Expanding Your Nighttime Living Space
When it comes to lighting outdoor spaces, most homeowners tend to think of simply illuminating the exterior structures of the property. One of the most underestimated aspects of landscape lighting is that it can actually extend living space physically as well as visually. When light is brought to a dark front or back yard, it visually pushes the boundaries of a house. The more elements that are lit, the more people will push the edges as to where they will gravitate to beyond the interior of a house. Pushing this boundary creates a visually striking look for the outside of the house, especially when the interior lights are turned off.
Enjoy Your Yard
Above all else, good lighting makes every step outside even better. There’s no greater place than your own front or backyard to relax, entertain and explore. Whether your ideal evening includes a meal under the stars, a bonfire with friends or a warm welcome, when you reach the front door, a well-lit exterior sets the tone for extraordinary experiences.
Outdoor Lighting Plan
A good outdoor lighting plan includes layers–multiple sources that work together to create eye-catching and functional effects.
Recessed Lights
Provides large pools of light but are mostly hidden.
Floodlights
Used to light wide expanse & large interesting objects.
Path Lights
Usually illuminates paths by casting small pools of light on the ground.
Spot Light
Similar to floodlights but with a narrower beam to highlighting a specific object, such as a shrub or statuary.