467 Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lights can be as versatile as you want them to be. They can be functional and light up a task-specific area such as a barbecue, or they can be purely decorative and throw accent lighting on garden features like fountains and trees. Nothing highlights and emphasises beautiful architecture or a well-designed landscape quite like a carefully planned outdoor lighting scheme. See below for more popular outdoor lighting options and how to make them work for you. More
Safety and security lighting
To help guide guests towards the entry of your home at night, line walkways and driveways with outdoor lighting such as step lights, deck lights and garden spotlights. Look for options that run on motion sensors, for added convenience. To help security-proof your home, consider installing motion sensor flood lights, which illuminate large outdoor areas, and can be installed inconspicuously and out of sight. These will help deter intruders who don’t want to be caught out, and will alert you or your neighbours if someone is approaching the house.
Decorative and accent lighting
Outdoor lights such as lamp posts, wall lights and string lights create inviting and intimate spaces. For a welcoming entry to your home, use outdoor wall lights and lanterns to flank entry doors or line walkways and backyards. Lamp posts and other post lighting can be used for hanging holiday wreaths or marking house numbers, while oversized pendant lights and chandeliers could completely transform an outdoor room or gazebo.
Landscape lighting
While often neglected when designing a garden or backyard, landscape lighting not only highlights well designed features, but also conceals those features you wish you never had. Shine spotlights on architectural features, or use them to define the shape of your garden and accentuate trees. Add garden lights to walkways, and for decks and staircases, use surface mount outdoor lights attached directly to the structure, for visibility as well as for the soft cascading effect of light.
Task lighting
If you have an outdoor kitchen or barbecue, well-positioned and bright outdoor lighting will help you move around and prepare food with ease. Pendant lights, wall lights and lanterns can focus bright light onto work surfaces, while a number of downlights will evenly illuminate the entire space. Choose outdoor lights that are dimmable, so you can lower the light level once the food is cooked and dining is underway.
Solar lighting
Save on electricity with solar-powered lights that absorb sunlight during the day. These are a great option when outlets aren’t available, or when you want to reduce wiring, but won’t shine bright in shaded areas. Use solar lights to illuminate walkways, for decoration, or to create ambience. Pay special attention to the hue of solar lights, since most use LED bulbs and will omit a bright white light. You can, however, find solar lights with tinted covers that emit amber or soft white light.