There’s a whole host of outdoor lighting ideas that really could make a big difference to the outside of your home and there are plenty of options out there. There are many designs that would look great to brighten up your yard. Here’s a few of the more popular outdoor lights out there and how they could benefit you.
Solar lights
Having outdoor lighting that is cost-effective is creeping up in the ranks as a must have. Solar lighting is the most cost-efficient of the outdoor lighting ideas. In a nutshell, solar lights store up energy from the sun during the day and release this energy as light at dusk. There are no wires involved and are simple and easy to install. Be careful though, since they can be easily go unnoticed and might not be very robust in some cases, so could be damaged if mistreated. However, making your outdoor space look radiant has never been as cheap and effective at the same time.
Outdoor String lights
String lights are right up there as one of the more popular outdoor lighting ideas. They can easily turn your outdoor space into an illuminated party zone. They’re simple to put up and plug in and really set the tone for your patio or garden area. Compared to solar lighting, you would need to manually plug them in and set them up, but they can easily become a permanent fixture to really create a good outdoor lighting solution.
Commercial lighting fixtures?
Businesses are more commonly using outdoor lighting ideas to add to their image. Using lighting can really improve an organization’s look. Imagine turning up to a client’s headquarters and noticing the LED lights on the concrete outside, or seeing the solar lighting turn on at dusk as you leave. There are some really energy-efficient lighting solutions on the market that can provide benefits to businesses, especially when there seems to be such a big emphasis on reducing energy consumption levels. Halogen lighting and floodlights are both common forms of outdoor lighting ideas that business can use to enhance the light in areas where concentrated levels of work needs to be carried out.
Here’s six useful tips to get the best out of your outdoor lighting ideas at home:
1. Plan ahead. I know this sounds simple but many people pick up an outdoor light or two while shopping for “something else” at their local home center and when they get home they plug it in and realize it doesn’t really look good. Take a few minutes and actually look and envision where you’d like your lights to be and what they will focus on before you buy.
2. Remember that less is more when planning your outdoor lighting ideas. You want the lights to show off what they are pointing at…not be so strong that they become the focus of attention themselves. A natural looking, non intrusive lighting design is what your looking for.
3. Try to hide your lighting fixtures so they can’t be seen during the day. Placing strategic rocks and small shrubs nearby so the lights can’t be seen from the front of your home will do the job and look nice as well.
4. If you choose to use a 12 volt plug in system as opposed to a solar system be sure to leave a few coils of wire around each yard light so you can adjust and move the lights a few feet later if you want to. Otherwise you’ll have to dig up the wires if you want to move your lights in the future. Also be careful to protect the wire from small animals.
5. Experiment with colors if you want but most will look garish if not done properly. I will say that using a blue light shining on a green plant does simulate moonlight pretty well and looks nice.
6. If you’re lining a walkway place lights at no more than eight to ten feet apart and for something simple like lining a pathway around your home or the driveway use solar lights. The costs of solar outdoor lighting have been reduced greatly in recent years making them more accessible for outdoor lighting ideas and once you place them in the ground they don’t cost you anymore. It’s free electricity from the sun.