Tips on how to make your outdoor lighting fabulous
It’s hard to imagine how, only a century ago, outdoor lighting used to be a luxury. Just outside the city, suburban and rural houses had indoor electricity at best and these days, backyard lighting choices appear to be unlimited. When the sun goes down, outdoor lighting dictates the mood in your backyard and here are some tips on how to make your outdoor lighting fabulous.
Lights on the ground mean safety
Brisbane has a sprawling suburban area and the streets tend to be sensibly lit, but most houses grow thick shrubbery all around to protect the house and the yard dwellers from the strong sun. This can pose a mild risk in the evening when streetlights and one meager porch light cannot breach thick shrubs and treetops. Grabbing your flashlight every time you need to go out to your garden shed is not a feasible solution, and the dark can serve as a convenient cover for burglars.
Therefore, you can start off by installing outdoor lamps in both your front yard and the backyard, but don’t do it randomly. For a striking visual appeal, line the yard paths with these lights and make them dim enough so they don’t blind anyone on the way in or out. This way, the lawn lamps will serve both their aesthetic and their utilitarian function.
Be creative in your backyard
Most backyards are surrounded with a tall fence or shrubbery, so you can really be creative about the backyard lighting without drawing too much attention from your neighborhood. With proper lighting, you can turn your backyard into an enchanting grove ripped straight out of a fairy tale. It predominantly depends on your tastes and sensibilities.
Do you want a decidedly Western-European look with ornate imitations of gas lamps or a more rustic and mysterious look which you can achieve by hanging copper lamps on your outdoor walls? Do you want a minimalist and modern design with directional lights and uplighting lamps that are meant to highlight specific yard elements – like a beautiful tree?
Depending on your financial means and extent of your imagination, you can always ask your local electrician for help. They’ll fully elaborate on what can and cannot be done and they’ll try to realize your vision to the best of their abilities.
Lights as a security measure
Do deer and other native wildlife tend to pay an unwelcome visit to your backyard every now and then? As civilization cuts deeper into the wild, nature tends to seep over the fence. Thankfully, most such wildlife will be scared off by sensor lights, which are the obligatory part of the arrangement.
Look around the house and assess which dark corners need more coverage and then ask your electrician to install sensor lights that will flicker on whenever an animal, or a human for that matter, tries to sneak into your backyard. The light from the house emitted from such sources tends to be uncomfortable, but if you purchase a more sophisticated model, the level of glare can be adjusted.
Thankfully, such lights can be turned on or off based on your needs. You don’t want to be relaxing in your backyard during the night and have those lights pester you constantly.
Outdoor lights are not only a good source of security, they can also make your house look absolutely gorgeous. However, in order to achieve such a welcoming appearance, you need to strike a perfect balance between strong and dim lighting. You don’t want the glaring blaze of bulbs to scorch your irises quicker than a sunray, but you still want to be able to stroll across your lawn without the fear of tripping over something. These tips should help you determine what exact sort of lighting composition is perfect for your backyard.
