Whether lighting up a patio for entertaining, highlighting your home’s architecture, or illuminating a pond or water feature, landscape lighting adds beauty to any outdoor space. But what makes it worth the investment?
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Landscape lighting elevates the aesthetics of your home and property by highlighting architectural features, landscaping, or decorative elements like statues or water fountains. It also provides a warm, welcoming ambiance that makes your guests feel welcome when they arrive after dark. Whether hosting a party or simply enjoying a relaxing evening with family and friends, landscape lighting creates the perfect ambiance for the occasion.
While some homeowners highlight every aspect of their yard, there are better approaches to curb appeal than this. Instead, try to accentuate the features you love and consider what your neighbors might find most appealing. For example, instead of illuminating every frond of your Foxtail palm, highlight one branch’s unique shape and texture to show off its charm.
Uplighting is a great way to show off specific architectural features of your home, including pillars, rockwork, or dormers. It can also add drama to tall trees, bushes, or topiary structures. However, it is important to note that lighting should be used sparingly to avoid creating an “opera house” look.
Another way to add curb appeal is using landscape lighting to highlight driveways and walkways. This allows visitors to navigate your property safely and gives first responders a clear view of your address at night. Illuminating paver driveways and walkways can make them seem more impressive and luxurious.
Lastly, landscape lighting can create a moonlight effect around the exterior of your home and set a warm and inviting mood. It can also make your home’s interior feel larger and more spacious by allowing you to see out into the illuminated landscape beyond.
Landscape lighting is a highly sought-after feature for potential buyers, as it is an attractive and cost-effective addition to any home. Proper use can increase your property’s value and help you sell your home faster. To get the most out of your landscape lighting, contact the experts at Infantry Landscaping to learn more about our services or schedule a consultation.
A well-manicured landscape isn’t immune to trip hazards – and even the best-laid plans can be foiled by lack of proper lighting. Falling on a hard surface in the dark can be embarrassing at the very least and painful at the worst. A well-lit walkway can prevent these pitfalls, deterring guests from injuring themselves and creating peace of mind for homeowners.
Often overlooked, safety is an important factor in any landscape design, particularly when it comes to outdoor home lighting. Whether hosting friends or family for the holidays or simply enjoying your backyard, proper illumination can make a difference in your guests’ experiences and overall satisfaction with their time spent on your property.
Illuminating walkways and entryways can also help deter burglars or unwanted trespassers by making it harder for criminals to approach your home undetected. This can be especially important around areas of your home that may be a target for intruders, such as patios or pools.
The most common landscape lighting fixtures are spotlights, which can come in various styles and beam widths. They can highlight any number of different features of your yard, including trees, shrubs, fountains and ponds, walls, fences, and driveways. Several lighting techniques, such as silhouetting, shadowing, grazing, and moonlighting, can further enhance these and other landscape features.
While illuminating your landscape, remember the potential impact on your power consumption and your property’s carbon footprint. You can make the most of your landscape without wasting energy by using LED bulbs, which are more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent options. Also, choosing low-voltage lighting means your wiring will be safely buried underground and won’t need to run up or down your house’s exterior.
Considering these considerations, you can create a safe, welcoming space for your guests that will make them want to stay longer and enjoy their time at your home. Incorporating these landscape design elements into your home can also increase its value and make it more likely to sell when the time comes to move on.
You put much effort into your home and landscaping, so why let it fade away at night? Landscape lighting provides safety and security and brings out the best in your property. Focal points are highlighted, textures that aren’t visible during the day become eye-catching details, and your landscape is brought to life in a whole new way.
You may have a home built in an architectural style that contrasts with the surrounding landscape, or you’ve got some prized shrubs and trees you want to draw attention to. Whatever your goals, a skilled lighting designer will help you achieve them with various options. Post lights, wall sconces, and more can highlight different parts of your outdoor space and create an elegant look.
Depending on the lighting technique, your yard will have an entirely new aesthetic. Lights recessed into the ground can illuminate steps and other hardscape elements for added visibility. Lights on the side of a house can make the space feel bigger by creating a shadow effect and illuminating dark corners of the yard.
Accent lights can be positioned under trees to bring them to life and create beautiful shadows. They can be aimed at different levels to showcase the various heights of the tree and create a stunning visual effect. Lighting a pathway can make navigating through your yard easier at night and provide a nice touch of curb appeal. These lights can be directional to guide your guests or more decorative, like the bollard lights shown here that add visual distinction between the path and surrounding greenery and tie into the clean-cut pergola and trees in this landscape design.
When you meet with a landscape lighting professional, they’ll likely review your needs and wants lists to ensure that the system you’re getting will cover everything on your wish list. They’ll also have some suggestions if they notice any areas you are missing. After all, they’ve seen it all before and have a knack for coming up with solutions to fit every budget.
After spending time and money on maintaining your yard, landscape lighting adds to the overall beauty of your property after dark. However, homeowners often need more time to invest in lighting because they worry about the impact on their energy costs. It is important to note that there are plenty of ways to achieve a beautiful, lit exterior without spiking your electricity bill.
For example, you can reduce your electricity usage by switching from traditional bulbs to LED lights (light-emitting diodes). These lights convert electricity directly into light rather than heat, making them significantly more efficient. They also last 25 times longer than traditional bulbs and come in various color options for enhanced customization and versatility.
Another way to optimize energy efficiency is by implementing lighting control systems. These can include timers, daylight, and motion sensors to ensure that lights operate only when required. This helps reduce unnecessary energy consumption and enhances security by deterring potential intruders.
Additionally, directional lighting techniques can increase energy efficiency by ensuring that the light is directed precisely where needed. This minimizes wasteful illumination and eliminates unnecessary glare. Smart lighting controls can further maximize energy efficiency by allowing you to adjust your lights’ intensity, timing, and color with a button or voice command.
Keeping your landscape lighting system in good condition is vital to its performance and longevity. Regularly cleaning your fixtures, removing debris, and replacing faulty components can improve energy efficiency and reduce operational costs. In addition, reprogramming your lights to take advantage of daylight savings and incorporating a smart hub can help reduce energy usage and cost.
Landscape lighting is an excellent investment for your home and can provide many benefits that enhance curb appeal, safety, and functionality. By incorporating proper maintenance, the right choice of fixtures, and the use of lighting control systems like motion sensors, dimmers, and solar-powered options, you can create a beautifully illuminated property while minimizing energy usage and expenses.