Outdoor lighting for your home is just as important as your indoor lighting. First impressions matter.
And the way the front of your house looks will either impress or suppress your guests. In the same breath, your backyard is where your family and friends gather to spend quality time together.
Thus, it is best to have it looking warm, cozy, and inviting. For this, people mostly focus on furniture and decor pieces.
Forgetting lighting is also a styling feature. Aside from giving security, outside lighting can be used to style and improve your home.
You can decide to Do-It-Yourself or pick an expert to do it for you. Whatsmore, if you are in Oregon, you are in luck since there are proficient Oregon outdoor lighting experts who can change your outdoor space into a dazzling place.
Below are ideas to help you up your landscape with lights.
Types of Outdoor Lighting For Your Home
There are a variety of outdoor lighting you can choose to suit your style. They include:
1. Floodlights
Flood lights are great for illuminating a wide area. They can be mounted on walls or the ground. These lights illuminate a large area of darkness making them great for security. There are three main types of floodlights; halogen, fluorescent, and LED. Contrasted with the other two, LED floodlights last longer and use less energy.
2. Spotlights
Compared to flood lights, spotlights can illuminate a smaller area. They are mostly used to provide ambience or light a specific feature of your outdoor space.
3. Pathway lights
Just as the name suggests, this type of lighting is used to illuminate pathways. They are designed to provide light to help people distinguish between the path and landscape.
Path lights are usually positioned downwards. Apart from the pathway, this light can also be used in the garden, patio, and drive-through.
If you have a large pathway, space out the lights to ensure you use fewer fixtures. However, if your path is uneven, you should use continuous illumination.
This ensures the light from one fixture overlaps the light from another fixture.
4. Lanterns
If timeless and classic is the style you are going for, then lanterns are the perfect outdoor lighting for your home. This timeless lighting fixture is both functional and brings beauty to your landscape.
Outdoor Lighting Ideas For Your Home
Here are some places you can consider installing outdoor lighting.
1. Lighting The Patio
The patio is the perfect entertainment outdoor space. It is also a great place to relax and get some fresh air.
And you can make it cozy and inviting just by adding light fixtures. One of the lighting ideas for your patio is string lights.
String lights are not just for the festive season. These mini bulbs can bring life to your patio during any season.
In addition, there are different styles of string lights you can choose from. They include fairy lights, Edison bulbs, globe lights, and icicle lights.
2. Lighting The Gazebo
Gazebos are elegant and provide a great place for relaxation. And the lighting options are endless.
To make your unwinding really satisfying, here are some light ideas you can use in this outdoor space.
· Chandelier
Assuming you want your gazebo to be the talk of your neighborhood, elevating it with a chandelier will get the job done. These crystal fixtures make a stylish statement.
Although you should keep in mind to choose one that is safe for outdoor use. You should also consider the length you want to hang it in your gazebo.
Do not hang it too low that tall guests hit their heads.
· Candles
For a cozy and romantic outdoor evening, light your gazebo with some candles. You can place the candles on the table or a hanging candle chandelier.
3. Lighting The Swimming Pool
Adding outdoor lighting to your swimming pool area can increase its appeal. There are various swimming pool lights you can experiment with.
· Underwater lights
This type of outdoor light creates a stunning effect on the water. Position your underwater lighting at mid-height towards the surface of the water to get well-lit contours and to point out the depth of your swimming pool.
Avoid placing your lights near the top of the swimming pool. Furthermore, resist the urge to go overboard with the lighting.
Too many lighting fixtures will not bring out the desired contours and beauty of your swimming pool.
· Floating lights
The advantage of this type of lighting compared to the others is that it doesn’t need to be hung or installed. Floating lights come in a variety of colors adding a beautiful rainbow to your pool.
Lighting The Entryway
Adding lights to your entryway is a must for safety reasons. And to make your home more inviting.
The different types of lighting you can choose from include:
- Wall lanterns
- Pendant lights
- Step lights
- Pathway lights
What to Consider When Choosing Outdoor Lighting
There are a number of outdoor lighting fixtures that you can choose from. Nonetheless, there are explicit fixtures that are suitable for specific outdoor spaces.
For example, a chandelier can be utilized to light a gazebo. But it can not be used to illuminate a pathway.
Similarly, path light might be a better choice to illuminate a pathway compared to a spotlight. In view of that, let’s look at some of the considerations you ought to have when picking outdoor lighting for your home.
1. Energy Efficiency
It is best to opt for energy-efficient lights such as LED lights as they can light up even with low voltage. This makes them use less energy therefore making you save on your electricity bill. Even though they are more expensive to purchase, they are durable and environmentally friendly.
2. Purpose of Outdoor Lighting
The primary purpose for outdoor lighting or any lighting, is to provide illumination. Although outdoor lighting features can serve different purposes.
So it is up to you to decide whether you want your outdoor lighting for safety reasons, for example, to illuminate pathways. Or if you want your lighting for decor and style.
Such as to create a cozy and inviting environment. After you have chosen the objective of your lighting, you can pick the type of light that serves your needs.
3. Styling Outdoor Lights
Lighting installations are used to add oomph to your space. Therefore, you should consider the style of your outdoor space before choosing the lighting.
Outdoor spaces that have a traditional and classic style might go well with traditional lights such as lanterns. On the other hand, if your outdoor space has a contemporary style, modern lights will suit it best.
4. Installing Outdoor Lights
There are different ways you can install lighting fixtures. This can either be electrical wired battery powered or solar powered.
You can also choose to install the lights yourself or hire a professional to do it for you.
5. Durability of Outdoor Lights
You should consider lighting fixtures that are made of durable material for the outdoor space. This is because outdoor lights are exposed to different weather conditions such as rain, humidity, and heat.
Hence it is best to choose those that are able to withstand such conditions.
Conclusion
Outdoor lighting for your home provides both functionality and style to your space. There are different lighting options that you can settle on.
It is additionally critical to consider factors such as energy efficiency, purpose, style, installation, and durability while choosing your outdoor lighting. With these in mind, you can transform your exterior space into a beautiful and cozy extension of your house.
Article Submitted By Community Writer