7 Steps to Landscape Lighting Design
Designing your landscaping can be exciting. After all, you are crafting your outdoor living space to fit your needs and provide you with beauty, joy, and laughter. Here at LifeStyles located in Cornelius, North Carolina, we are here to supply you with all of your landscape lighting design needs, from hanging lanterns to pathway lighting. Lighting can truly add a new life to your outdoor landscape lighting design, and our American Lighting Association-certified specialists are here to lend you a hand. Below, we’ll take a look at seven steps to perfect your landscape lighting design for your outdoor space. Stop by our lighting showroom, or browse online today!
Have a Landscape Lighting Design Plan
Don’t show up at your lighting store in Cornelius and begin indiscriminately purchasing outdoor lighting (although we’d love it if you did show up!). Instead, show up at your lighting store with a plan for what types of lighting you’d like to see and where you want them placed. It’s a good idea to walk your backyard or front yard and look for items you want to highlight, pathways to light up, and your deck steps you want to illuminate. Once you’ve got a plan for your lighting needs, you can begin shopping.
Consider Landscape Lighting Techniques
Before purchasing your outdoor lighting, you’ll want to carefully consider outdoor lighting techniques. This can make a big impact in the ultimate look and feel of your space. For example, accent lighting uses an intense beam of light to highlight focal points in your garden, and silhouetting provided by this accent lighting is when you conceal lights behind an item you want to highlight, such as a tree. This can have a beautiful effect at night. The different landscape lighting techniques can have a beautiful effect on your outdoor living space.
Choose Your Types of Lighting Fixtures
Another thing to consider before you purchase your landscape lighting is the types of landscaping lighting fixtures you’d like to use. For example, in-ground or well lighting uses lighting fixtures that are flush with the ground and are great for uplighting. Post lights are great lighting that sit atop posts and add beauty to your deck, pool, and driveway areas. Having the type of lighting fixture in mind will help you to narrow down your outdoor lighting selection.
Don’t Go Overboard on Lighting
Many people make the mistake of going overboard with their outdoor landscape lighting, resulting in too bright of a space that just looks cluttered, unorganized, and, ultimately, not attractive. A little lighting goes a long way, especially when it’s dark out, and it’s better to invest in a few landscape lights at a time, then add more if need be than to install so many it crowds your landscape design. Plus, if you are an adherent of the dark sky movement, less is definitely better in order to see the wondrous stars at night.
Make Your Landscape Lighting Selection
Finally, now that you’ve completed the prep work, it’s time to select your landscape lighting fixtures. You should have a good idea of the type of lighting you want. Now, it comes down to the style, the look, and the finish. This is where our ALA-certified lighting specialists shine. With years of experience, we can help advise you on the perfect style for your home or office needs. We can help you match the style to your existing home decor, and we can help evoke the mood you are seeking. Schedule a free consultation today!
Ensure Optimal Landscape Lighting Fixture Spacing
Following the step to lean on the minimalistic side of landscape lighting, you’ll want to design your landscaping with the perfect amount of spacing. Landscape lighting that is too crowded can, indeed, lead us to feel crowded, too. Landscape lighting should be at least six feet apart for the optimal results. However, if you are creative with your landscape lighting techniques, you can truly mix the dark with the light for a mystical effect you’ll love.
Install Your Landscape Lighting
Now, all that’s left to do is install your landscape lighting. This is the fun part because all of the work has been done. It’s exciting to see your landscape design come to life, and when night falls and you turn on your landscape lighting for the first time, you can truly see the effects of all of your hard work. Invite your friends, family, and neighbors over and have a big landscape design reveal party. Let others (and yourself) sit back, relax, and enjoy.
SHOP ALL LANDSCAPING LIGHTING AT LIGHTSTYLES TODAY
LightStyles is privileged to partner with you for your landscape design lighting needs. We are passionate about helping you choose the right lighting, which is why we invest so heavily in training our staff in lighting and interior design. Our lighting store in Cornelius offers indoor, outdoor, and landscape lighting, as well as ceiling fans and home decor accents. We are constantly adding in new lighting designs, which is why we encourage you to stop by to see what’s new in our lighting showroom. From a small table lamp for your bedroom to a lot of different types of outdoor lighting to outfit your backyard, we’ve got your needs covered. Stop by our lighting store in Cornelius, or browse online today!