It used to be that outdoor lighting was something you noticed only twice a year: during the Christmas holidays, when people went all-out to decorate t...
It used to be that outdoor lighting was something you noticed only twice a year: during the Christmas holidays,
when people went all-out to decorate their homes for the season, and at Halloween, when carved jack-o’-lanterns dotted neighborhoods with their yellow-orange glow. But now, with the wide variety and ready availability of low-voltage landscape lights, homeowners have a versatile new tool for enhancing their homes, year round.
So instead of the occasional security light at the corner of a garage, or the bright garden floodlight trained on the big Maple tree, we’re seeing homeowners employ the new tools with a more subtle touch, and with more pleasing results.
The new outdoor lights, working together with the interior lights, create a full portrait of the home and its setting. Done right, the lighting reveals the character and the personality of the home…and the people who live there.
It can make a stark, bold statement, or be soft and quiet. It can aim for bright, overall illumination, creating almost a daytime feel, or use the darkness to create a sense of mystery, highlighting only a few key features.
Creating the right look for landscape lighting is much like creating a painting or a photograph. You need to think about composition. What will the eye be drawn to? Is that where I want the focus? Are there distractions that weaken the picture?
Light lets you highlight the textures, colors and lines of the plantings and the home’s unique architectural features, such as stone surfaces, interesting curves, brick walks, large, craggy trees or delicate foliage.
The new lighting instruments let you choose various levels of brightness as well as the spread of the light, from the sharp spot of an accent light to the broader scope of a flood. A series of pathway lights, whether you choose a Victorian style or something more modern, make their own visual statement – while also enhancing the property’s safety and security.
Attractive outdoor lighting has a positive impact anytime, but it becomes especially important if your home is on the market. A well lit home projects a sophisticated, upscale image, and promotes your home’s quality to everyone who drives the neighborhood during the evening hours. Great lighting can be a strong marketing partner to your home’s informational flyer, catching the eye of those just getting the feel for a neighborhood. There are no words, but the lighting makes a statement about the warmth and the style of your home, and helps it stand out from all the rest on the market.
Of course, you don’t enhance your home just to boost its resale value. You do it so you can enjoy a better quality of life. And outdoor lighting certainly helps you do that. Whether you enjoy the view of your garden lighting from inside your home in the evening, or you entertain family and friends in the outdoor environment you’ve created, landscape lighting effectively expands your space, and gives you new options for using it.
Plus, your neighbors will appreciate the contribution your well-lighted home makes to the appearance of the entire community.
So, no matter if you have a large estate with huge grounds, or a small bungalow, tastefully applied landscape lighting will bring out its best features. The new lighting tools and accessories are readily available to do-it-yourselfers now, in both hardware stores and on the internet, and there are numerous commercial providers who specialize in designing, installing and maintaining outdoor lighting systems.
Landscape lights help create an appealing portrait of your home. They provide a warm, safe, inviting environment for your family and guests, and add value to your home and to your neighborhood.
