Outdoor Lighting Schemes
It’s always around this time of the year that I appreciate the design elements of our outdoor lighting scheme. The days are getting shorter and I find that I am turning on our outdoor lights slightly earlier each day. The result of decent outdoor lighting is that we can still use our outdoor space into late August and September.
During the earlier summer months my backyard was a functional and safe place to socialize and relax without resorting to outdoor lights. Where I live the sun can still be shining until 9.30pm. In fact, during the month of June the skies became dark and the backyard becomes too dark to be safe right around the time I wanted some BBQ guests to leave so it worked out perfectly.
We started to create our outdoor lighting scheme about 5 years ago. My spouse and I were charmed by the simplicity and beautiful effect of the outdoor lights of a French restaurant we visited in Mexico. Since that time we have experimented with many different types of outdoor lighting designs. Our scheme is a work in progress and it gets refined each year. Some years we use a lot of string lights while in other years we use spot lights and twinkly lights. We generally tend to stick to white lights although we sometimes use the odd colored spotlight.
To start with you should think of any areas that will be tricky in the dark for anyone who is not familiar with your backyard. To keep your guests (and yourself) safe, make sure that doorways, main pathways and steps and stairs are well lit. These are probably the areas that you will want to install permanent lighting. Keeping these main areas well lit will prevent any unexpected tripping.
After making sure you have enough light in the main areas, now is the time to have fun with some softer lighting for effect. Remember that uncovered lights can be quite blinding if you need to look directly at them, so try using some subdued lighting, such as an outdoor fixture with a copper “lampshade” which will develop a lovely patina. You can also add lighting in your trees, which will add a lovely effect without creating too much light.
A well thought out backyard lighting scheme can double your use of your outdoor space, by turning an unlit and unused outdoor space into a spectacular evening focal point that your family can enjoy all year round. Using your outdoor space is one of the cheapest ways to expand your living space, and a little time with some inexpensive outdoor lights will probably be one of the best decorating jobs you do to your house. The bonus is that it is also very flexible - if you see some new ideas that you like, it is simply a matter of moving a few lights and you have a whole new outdoor lighting design!
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