Often homeowners pull out all the stops to transform their outdoor area into the garden of their dreams. But then, as night falls, all that hard work goes unseen and unappreciated. But there’s no need for this, with the strategic installation of a few landscape lights you can enjoy your outdoor area, even after dark.
If installing landscape lighting is the right solution for your home, but you don’t know where to start, read our 3-step guide to planning your perfect landscape lighting design.
3 Steps to Planning Your Landscape Lighting Installation
1. Decide which areas of your outdoor space you want to highlight
If you have a patio, pool or entertainment area, these will be places that you want to feature with outdoor lighting. Good ambient lighting will ensure that you use the area during the summer months to host friends and enjoy time with family.
Other areas that you could highlight:
● Trees – aim ground lights to shine onto the trunk and leaves.
● Planting beds – place lights 20 feet apart to create pools of light that draw the eye from one area to the next.
● Garden walls – position lights close to the base of walls to highlight the walls texture and features. This serves the additional purpose of acting as security lighting.
● Other focal points such as fountains and entrance ways – aim two or more lights at these areas to bring focus, and add additional brightness for safety.
2. Understand the different lighting options
Many modern outdoor lighting systems are low voltage, powered by LED bulbs as they offer a longer-lasting, more durable, lower maintenance option compared to incandescent alternatives.
LED lights are available in a range of colors, the most popular are “soft white” and “warm white” which offers a similar hue to incandescents, followed by “bright light” which gives a light color closest to daylight. Often different areas in the garden work well with different hues.
For the garden perimeter, bright lights are often used as they double up as effective security lighting, whereas areas that are used for entertaining such as a patio area would be better suited to “soft white” or “warm white” LED bulbs. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could always add some red or orange lights to the installation!
3. Find a reputable landscape lighting company
They will be able to help you cut down on the guesswork. Have a look at their reviews on Yelp, Facebook and Google to make sure that they can deliver on their promises. And check that that have industry relevant certifications such as a low voltage license from HomeAdvisor, as well as service awards from independent reviewers like Angie’s List and TrustDale.com. Share your thoughts and preferences with them, then trust them to design a cost-effective, stunning solution for your outdoor lighting in Atlanta.
If you are struggling to visualize what the installation should look like, professional landscape lighting installers such as Southern Landscape Lighting Systems Acworth GA offer free consultations to give their clients a clear idea of how their lighting installation will look.