With summer on the way, it’s time to start thinking about creating your perfect outdoor space. More and more families are shifting their focus from the inside of their homes to the outside, and folks want to make the absolute most of their outdoor living spaces. Custom lighting is absolutely the way to do that.
What to Consider Before Adding Custom Lighting
When you start thinking about adding custom lighting to your outdoor space, you should first consider the purpose of the lighting. Do you want to draw attention to a specific element in your outdoor space, such as a particular plant or tree? If you’re looking to focus on an element such as this, uplighting is something you should consider.
Why Uplighting is So Flattering to a Space
Uplighting is perfect for showcasing this type of element as you can easily light the entire object from the ground up, as opposed to having a light beside the object, only lighting a portion of it.
Another benefit of uplighting is that it is very discreet. All of the wiring is run underground, and the fixture itself is small and low to the ground, so the focus is really on the element you are lighting and not on the fixture itself.
If you are looking to illuminate a walkway or stairway, there are so many fabulous, energy-saving options available for this type of lighting. The best part about this type of lighting is you are not limited to lights that you stick into the ground on a stake, which can look inexpensive and untidy. If you’re lighting a stairway, for example, small lights installed on the riser or the stringer can beautifully and subtly light each stair, providing a safety feature so you and your family can easily navigate the stairs when it’s dark while at the same time giving your space a high-end, fashionable look.
Don’t Be Afraid to Splurge on Quality
When you are choosing the light fixtures for your outdoor space, we do not recommend sacrificing quality for cost. Outdoor lighting should be seen as an investment. When you invest in quality outdoor lighting, you can be assured that it will withstand the test of time and the elements.
Energy Efficiency is a Must
Outdoor lighting will certainly help to take your outdoor space to the next level, but you don’t want to take your energy bill to the next level too. To prevent this, you can integrate your outdoor lighting with a smart home control system. Using your smartphone and/or tablet, you can easily program lights to turn on at dusk and then off at dawn.
These programs can automatically adjust as the days become shorter, preventing your lights from coming on unnecessarily. We can also easily program your outdoor lights to come on and off at a specific time of night/day.
There is also the option of geofencing. With this option, you can program your outdoor lighting to come on when you get within a certain distance of your home. This is an especially fabulous feature to use when you’re driving home at night. Having your outside lights come on as you approach your house allows you to easily navigate the path to your entry point and provides you with added security as you can clearly see your entryway and your keys to let yourself in.
Electrical Safety Can’t Be Overlooked
No matter the type of lighting you choose to install in your outdoor space, you must make sure that all fixtures are installed according to your regional Electrical Code. For example, fixtures within a certain distance of water (i.e. a hot tub) must be GFCI protected. When you are designing your lighting plan for your outdoor space, we can help you figure out if your fixtures require GFCI protection or not. This can all be done during your free onsite estimate.
Find A Custom Lighting Pro
If you would like help designing the lighting plan to help create your perfect outdoor space, we would be more than happy to help you find the professionals to do it. Browse our approved network today!
