Winter is here, where sunlight becomes more precious and nights are longer. As darkness starts to flood your outdoor space, it’s time to think about your garden and how lighting design can be used to improve your time spent outdoors.
Here are some tips to enhance your garden with lighting design.
1. Begin with area lighting
The first step to lighting your outdoor space should define where you actually need light. Are there any pathways or stairs with potential trip hazards? What about pergolas, BBQ areas and outdoor dining spaces? Figuring out where light is essential will allow you to work around the core lighting and explore the many options available to you.
Once this has been complete, you’ll need to find appropriate lighting fixtures for each area.
Path lights, recessed step lights, LED flood lights, and spotlights are just a few examples of fixtures that could be used to create functional area lighting.
Before making the final decision on your fixtures, it’s important to remember that garden lights are exposed to the elements, and poor-quality fixtures won’t last.
2. Highlight stand-out features
Selecting focal points throughout your garden such as flower beds, water features, and trees is the next step to creating an opulent outdoor experience. Where features are best highlighted is when textures like water, foliage, and brick are enhanced with lighting. This is known as accent lighting.
3. Think about security
A huge advantage that garden lighting brings to your space is added security. You need to think about whether there are any dark areas or points of access that could leave your property vulnerable. Flood lights placed around buildings fitted with motion sensors are perfect for deterring any potential criminal activity. If someone with bad intentions suddenly becomes visible, they’ll think twice about their actions.
4. Consider architectural exterior lights
Moving away from the garden itself, if the connected building is particularly beautiful, lighting the exterior architectural features will do your outdoor space wonders. Not only will lighting the buildings’ exterior help improve security but will play a fundamental role when it comes to setting a great first impression.
5. Explore lighting controls
The final step to a beautiful garden lighting scheme is exploring lighting controls. This covers how and where your lights will be turned on/off and can offer incredible flexibility with your lighting. If you’re not yet familiar with lighting controls and the systems available, our electricians can give you recommendations. This will help you understand the basics of control systems and give you further information to help you decide on what’s best for your project.
If you’re looking to enhance the lighting in your garden, be sure to collaborate with lighting experts like Glenco for the very best end result. For assistance with your garden lighting project, contact us at Glenco to book in your design consultation.
