How to Achieve Optimal Lighting in Your Modern Outdoor Space
A wonderful modern garden design is only fulfilling if owners can fully enjoy its features during the day and night without light constraints. While you can rely on sunlight for optimum illumination during the day, the same cannot be said for the moon at night. You need to intentionally invest in the right lighting solutions and designs to achieve effective lighting in your outdoor space at night.
Depending on how big your outdoor space is, the lighting process can demand anything from medium to intense planning. Below, we’ll look at seven effective tips for lighting an outdoor space that you can employ in your next exterior lighting project.
Plan Adequately
Garden or outdoor lighting might look like an easy project to execute, but success is often hidden in adequate planning and strategizing. You want to carefully plan the layout of your lighting by considering factors such as space layout, the purpose of the lighting, and the size of your space. It’s also important to check any potential safety hazards and attend to them early on in the process.
A single lighting technique may not suffice for all areas in your yard. For instance, you may require accent lighting for a landscaping feature or task lighting for a loading dock. You may also need different lighting fixtures, like uplighting, wall washers, and downlighting, to achieve different moods and ambience.
Consider All Relevant Lighting Ideas
Your space isn’t limited only to the common outdoor lighting ideas like string lights, garden lanterns, and pathway lights. There are many other ideas that might fit your space and budget much more effectively than you may have thought.
For instance, a fire pit or torch can help warm up your space while accentuating the space with just enough light needed for the moment. It’s a great way to achieve a different outdoor living inspiration, especially if you host family and friend gatherings more often.
Settle for Quality Fittings
Outdoor light fittings can be subject to all types of extreme weather events, exposing them to expedited wear and tear. For this reason, it’s crucial to choose durable, excellently designed fittings that can withstand extreme weather conditions for a long time.
The best place to start is choosing fittings made using high-quality brass that naturally resists corrosion and withstands fluctuating weather elements. Brass fittings can also work well with several finishes, such as bronze, copper, nickel, and matte black, which can either be electroplated or powder-coated.
In addition to checking the type of material used in a fitting, you can also check the IP rating of your light fittings before buying. An IP rating will tell you how well a light fitting can cope with elements like water and dust penetration. This is important in an outdoor setting where dust or fine soil particles and water can easily get into your lighting fixture. Aim for high IP ratings to ensure your fittings perform well in the outdoors.
Prioritize Safety
While many outdoor lighting projects focus on aesthetics, it’s crucial to also consider safety when installing your fixtures. Ensure you optimally light any hazardous areas in your yard, such as stairs, pathways, step slopes, and retaining walls. Use the right brightness and glare for respective areas in your yard, ensuring that too much glare or a blinding effect is avoided at all costs. Usually, a light with 300 to 400 lumens offers enough illumination for safety while also ensuring your outdoor features are aesthetically visible to everyone.
Choose and Set Up the Right Outdoor Lighting Design
Setting up the right outdoor lighting design is more than just choosing the right fixtures and drawing the plan. You need to complete an efficient inspection of your yard with the help of a designer and electrical experts to ensure effective wiring and light fixture positioning. Your electrician will share their expertise and knowledge of electrical wiring and safety measures you need to adhere to during the project.
A landscaper or designer can help with ideas of where the fixtures should be positioned to achieve optimal lighting output to align with existing features. Working closely with professionals is crucial for successfully setting up the right outdoor lighting design.
Consider Solar-Powered Lighting
In an age where sustainability is a crucial topic for homeowners, everyone is looking for a way to reduce their carbon footprint and save energy. By adopting solar-powered lighting, you’re effectively putting the check on your energy consumption and contributing to a sustainable environment.
Switching to solar-powered lights for your outdoor lighting will ensure uninterrupted night illumination when you lose power supply from the grid. You also get to conserve whatever energy is stored from your solar-power batteries, as many models come with automatic switches that turn on at night and off in the morning.
A good outdoor lighting strategy will transform your space into a functional and magical space that everyone wants to spend time in every night. By implementing the tips above, you can achieve an outstanding outdoor lighting design for a perfect modern home ambience every night for every event.
