5 Tips For Beautiful Outdoor Lighting

Proper outdoor lighting can create a beautiful setting around the home and can transform lackluster landscaping into an exquisite display. The vast selection of fixtures, lights and other choices allow a homeowner to design a layout that will be perfect for their illumination needs. While it may be tempting to start purchasing the first "pretty" lights that are on sale, there are several things to take into consideration to ensure a pleasing outdoor lighting experience.

Less Really Is More

It is a fact that the eyes do not require as much light outdoors to see patterns and shadows as they do indoors. Therefore, overdoing outside lighting can be a real mistake. The goal of such illumination is to be complimentary and to add beauty or detail to the existing outdoor area. Care should be taken to prevent overwhelming glare. Glare is created when the light sources are either too bright of too big. These exaggerated bulbs may also cause direct light, which focuses on only one distinct area. Outdoor illumination options that are visually pleasing utilize indirect and softer light choices.

Perfect Placement

Obviously, light fixtures can be placed anywhere. However, there are locations that make more sense and provide the best design for lighting up the yard. Pathways should always be the recipients of some sort of light. This creates a more welcoming, inviting entryway for visitors as well as a safer situation. Driveways are also popular places; the light helps individuals stay on the provided driveway and not the yard! Steps and entryways outside should never be ignored. They not only help with security but also add to the ambiance of the design. Other popular locations include decks, patios, porches and landscaping.

Protection From The Elements

 It can be scary to have cords and equipment laying around outside. Damp or wet cords can be hazardous and create serious problems. There are several ways to ensure safety when hooking up outdoor lighting. First, try to keep these items as close to the home as possible. Installing these fixtures close to a doorway or under overhangs will keep them sheltered from the rain. Another option is to simply begin using solar lights. These options utilize natural sunlight and do not require any pesky wires. Light shields are another popular purchase, these clear small boxes will fit over a fixture, hopefully providing a bit more water protection.

Saving Money

Tackling an outdoor lighting adventure can be a challenge and a costly one at that. However, there are a few tips you can work on that may help. Choose lights that have motion detectors, this will allow the bulbs only to come on when someone is in close proximity. This keeps the amount of wasted energy to a minimum. Photosensitive lights and those on timers are also great choices due to the their convenience. 

Research and Design

It is imperative that the home owner maps out the outside area and plans accordingly. Landscaping books and online sites are great resources for those who need a bit of assistance in the design process. It may be easy to just start buying fixtures but a bit of patience and research will go a long way. Choosing the perfect location for each piece will help add ambiance to any environment. A proper design will not only look great but keep the energy bill down as well.

Creating beautiful outdoor lighting using various fixtures, bulbs and other electronics is quite easy. With a bit of research and planning, this illumination will create a welcoming environment as well as becoming a deterrent to potential security threats.  The vast selection with thousands of "bright" options allows each person to create their own individual outdoor illuminated dream.

Author Bio
William Stevens is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to technology. In this article, he offers tips on outdoor lighting and aims to encourage further study with an MS in Electrical Engineering.