Outdoor Design Trends

Take cues from your indoor spaces and try replicating your dining area outdoors with an all-weather outdoor hanging lanterns. This elegant option is perfect for entertaining and dining al fresco. You can add a few accent or table lamps for increased visibility or floor lamps to help define boundaries around seating areas.

Keep outdoor illumination soothing by using shielded light sources and steer clear of poor quality light sources that may appear off color. Look for fixtures that blend with the foliage during the day to keep things looking natural.

Landscape Lighting Techniques

There are many different options when it comes to external lighting and decor. Uplighting creates a visually dramatic effect for landscape and architectural elements. Down lighting with outdoor floodlights should be used sparingly and mounted high up in trees. Moonlighting uses soft lights which filter down through the branches. Try combining techniques with path lighting like the Kichler Cross Creek Pathway Light, to create a beautiful outdoor glow.

Look at all the elements in your outdoor space as opportunities to create a beautiful atmosphere. Add LED landscape lighting to water features to create ambiance on the rocks or create movement of light in the water. You can use garden lights to highlight your garden with subtle lowlights, adding a couple decorative outdoor accessories like lighted planters or statues to enhance and create attractive visuals in your landscape design. Create focal points using a Kichler Outdoor Spot Light, recommended for spotlighting, cross-lighting and grazing.

When designing your landscape lighting, just be sure to create a harmonious flow through your home by keeping the same style throughout your indoor and outdoor environments.

Bulbs

LED bulbs are preferred for energy-efficiency and minimal maintenance. It’s important to use the same temperature bulbs for all landscape lighting fixtures to create a subtle effect. Most landscape lighting should be within the 2700K – 3000K temperature range for warm white light. 3000K LED bulbs work great and provide beautiful illumination for your landscaping at night. The Maxim Lighting View LED Outdoor Wall Light provides a contemporary edge to your backyard, as the LED fluorescent light plays with geometric cutouts casting both up and down lighting to softly brighten your space.

Lighting Controls

Automated timers and home control systems are ideal for energy savings and easy maintenance as well as security and to help prevent injuries. Motion sensitive lights are both welcoming to guests and can keep intruders away. Look for elegant designs such as the aluminum Hinkley Lighting 1898 Windsor Outdoor Wall Light with black finish and clear water glass. This piece adds a luxe feeling to your home while keeping you safe.