You’re not going to be using a lot of direct, overhead lighting outside, unless you purposely want the extra glare to illuminate a social activity, such as a party or other type of gathering. However, if your intention is to make the outside of your home look stunning, focus more on using accent and ambient lighting to highlight the beautiful parts of the place.
Instead of drawing up blueprints of your backyard and planning where to put your lights, scope out your front yard at night and take a flashlight with you. It’s always better to visualize how your lighting might look, as opposed to “imagining” how it might look on paper.
An important consideration to make when planning outdoor lighting is safety. Remember that you won’t be constantly monitoring your lights outside, and you have to take into account potential fire hazards. This is especially true if the lights you use tend to overheat, and might cause dry leaves or branches to ignite, so be careful where you position your lights. Also, it might be a good idea to invest in lights that have a timer or photocell that turns off on its own when exposed to sunlight.
If you use decorative gas lamps, turn them off when not in use, such as on ordinary nights when nothing is going on. Decorative gas lamps use up a lot of energy, and will definitely make a significant dent in your energy consumption costs.
For electrical lighting, opt for long-lasting fluorescent light bulbs, or even better, LED lights that will outlast the average bulb. One may also consider exterior lighting for safety purposes, and not just aesthetic. For instance, motion sensitive lighting is a good idea for keeping shady characters away, and is a better choice versus keeping your porch light on the entire night. Solar-powered security lights are also excellent alternatives.
It’s also essential to prioritize lighting walkways and stair steps outside, as these are accident-prone areas at night. Before starting on decorating the rest of your garden, make sure these places are adequately covered. It doesn’t need to be fancy; in fact, you don’t have to use excessive amounts of light—just enough that people can see where they’re going in the dark.
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