There’s nothing quite like being able to breathe the fresh air and enjoy the great outdoors. There’s also nothing quite like the comfort of your own home. The perfect patio allows you the experience both at the same time; it also provides a magical setting for spending time with loved ones in your backyard, creating memories you will be sure to cherish for years to come. Lighting is an important part of that atmosphere, so read on to find out what options are available to you to make your patio the perfect place for your needs.
Designing Lighting Around Your Patio Usage
Before deciding what lighting to install in your patio, it is important to consider how you would like to use the space. Cooking might require more intense lighting while entertaining or simply sitting outside and relaxing might be more conducive to softer lighting. If you’d like to use the space for a multitude of purposes, you might want to find a happy medium or even an adjustable solution so that you can change the lighting to suit the event.
Making the Most of Outdoor Lighting Accent Pieces
Make sure to light up structural or special architectural aspects so you can highlight the unique aspects of your space. Such accent pieces might include:
- A statue
- Your prized grill
- Special pillars
- Special bricking or materials of your house
- A hot-tub
Well Thought-Out Positioning Of Lights
It is not only important to consider what type of lights best fit your lifestyle, but also how their position can be used to create the optimal environment. Different positions will yield different results that can create a variety of atmospheres.
- Position Lights
- Lower-voltage lights should be placed lower than 2-feet above the ground. Higher voltage lights should be placed higher than 7 feet. This is to help disperse their glow and make use of their light radius, also known as the amount of light that they give.
- Downlighting
- Downlighting can be used to light up a patio or walkway while also accenting trees and shrubs.
- Uplighting
- Uplighting creates a dramatic feel, though it should be used in moderation to preserve its dramatic effect. Dramatic accents are made more effective by contrast with more unassuming surroundings. Uplighting can accent architectural features of your home or landscape features, such as a prized tree around your patio.
- Spread Lighting
- Spread-lighting is perfect for lighting up paths and nearby flowers. It also helps cast long shadows which create a gorgeous contrast with the surrounding light.
- Silhouetting
- Silhouetting emphasizes the shape of an object, such as nearby plants, trees, or even a statue. This can be done by placing a spotlight or a floodlight in front of an object and aiming the light towards a fence or wall.
- Tree Lighting
- Lights mounted in the trees help highlight the trees’ leaves, bark, and shape.
The Types of Patio Lighting
The right combination of positioning and type of patio lighting can allow you to personalize your patio to best serve your needs. Just as different positions create different effects, different types of patio lighting have unique influences as well.
- Path lights
- These create a downward spread of light that makes it easier to see bumps or drops in a path, promoting not only beauty but also safety.
- Lantern Lights
- These lights are used to light paths or provide general lighting. Lantern lighting can also be used as spotlights or floodlights to highlight a specific feature in your yard.
- Brick Lights
- Brick lights are named for their close resemblance to a patio paver. They are installed in the soil and their diffused light shines upwards, giving a softer light compared to some of the alternatives.
- Rope Lights
- Rope lights are festive strings of tiny bulbs that can be hung from trees or under the eaves of patio coverings to create a beautiful fairy-tale or fantasy-like appearance.
- Deck lights
- These lights can be installed on a vertical structure, such as an overhead or a trellis.
Creating Gorgeous Patio Lighting
With so many options, you might feel overwhelmed. Don’t worry, though, there’s light in the dark. Enhanced Outdoor Lighting & Design can help figure out what styles of lighting best suit your needs and then help you install your lights painlessly. With our help, your patio can look like the hideaway of your dreams, both in the bright light of day and the starry dark of night.
