Garden lighting can be a tricky thing to get right. Much like with interior lighting, exterior lighting comes with its own unique challenges to get over. In the article below, we’ll go over some dos and don’ts of outdoor lighting. We will also provide some outside lighting ideas to get you started revamping your outdoor living space.
Do's of Outdoor Lighting
DO Layer Your Light
Just like inside the house, having layered light outdoors can provide a well-lit and beautiful place to enjoy your living space. Layering lights involves adding ambient lighting, task lighting and accent lighting when possible, creating a balanced look.
Ambient Outdoor Lights
Creating ambient light will provide the overall illumination for the garden. You can supplement it with other types of lighting from there.
One popular way is through overhead lighting. Hang lanterns or string lights above seating areas or even pathways. Similarly, you can hang pendant lights in a covered area to create an elegant touch.
Moonlighting is another common method of ambient lighting. This involves installing outside lights high overhead in the trees. It creates a similar effect as moonlight shining down through the tree tops and casts a soft, diffused glow below.
Task Lighting
If you have an outdoor dining area, you can add external lights to make it easier to see while dining. This style of light is also generally beneficial in entertainment areas. Pathway lighting can add an extra special touch visually while also qualifying as task lighting, which is recommended for safety.
Accent Lighting
Garden lamps can be used to accent interesting elements in the garden. Sculptures, water features or unique architectural elements can be accentuated using electric garden lights. Similarly, you can use garden lighting to uplight trees and shrubs, illuminate canopies and bring dramatic visual interest to the area.
Security Lighting
Ensure that your property is safe and secure with outside garden lights. Install motion sensor lights that will switch on when someone approaches to keep a clear view of entryways.
Make the area easier to navigate with exterior stair lights and pathway lighting. Use low-profile outdoor lighting around decks, stairs and paths to illuminate the area and make it easier to see.
Do: Plan Your Lighting Layout in Advance
One of the best garden lighting tips anyone can give you is to plan out your lights ahead of time. This will ensure you have a balanced and functional outdoor space that you won't have to make a lot of revisions on. If you neglect this step, you may end up with outside lighting that is too bright, not bright enough, or otherwise inefficient.
By planning the lights ahead of time, you can be sure you are pleased with both the aesthetic and functional results of the project. Planning can ensure you have enough decorative lighting to see by without it being glaring. The process will also allow you to plan the style of lights in advance so you aren't scrambling to decide which will look best and make a choice you might later wish you hadn't.
Having your own landscape lighting guide to go off of will let you feel confident in the placement of your lights and give you a good idea of the finished result. This allows you to make tweaks along the way instead of having to restart after everything is in place. It is especially important in terms of safety and visibility; you want to make it bright enough to easily navigate, without being so bright that it's abrasive to look at.
Do: Think about your gardens future growth
As you begin to implement your garden lighting ideas, you may find yourself only focused on how the garden looks at the moment. You should instead be thinking ahead to the future as well.
Gardens evolve constantly–whether that is through plants growing taller, trees gaining wider canopies or other elements that might one day obstruct your lights. Planning ahead of time will allow you to place lights in such a way that they will still provide illumination as the garden changes over time.
Planning for the future will prevent the need for too many adjustments and maintenance. This of course means considering the effects of being left in the elements for all of those years. Failing to buy weatherproof garden lighting will cause the fixtures to deteriorate sooner rather than later. To the same effect, you should also be installing energy efficient garden lighting.
DO Use Warm Colour Temperatures Instead of Cool
Although cool lighting certainly has its place, you should not use it in your modern outdoor lighting scheme. Cool outdoor lighting can wash out your outdoor environment and make it less inviting.
Instead, you should choose warmer colours that look more natural outdoors. Warmer colours create a cosy atmosphere, which is perfect for enjoying outdoor living spaces at night.
Warm lights run across a large spectrum of options, so you can choose precisely which one is best for you. The most common LED garden lights use warm colour temperatures between 2700k and 3300k.
What is LED colour temperature?
Colour temperature, also known as colour correlated temperature or CCT, is how you can tell how cool or warm LED fixtures are. Colour temperatures are rated on a scale between 1,000 and 10,000 Kelvin units.
If you want warmer temperatures, you’ll need to look lower on the scale. Cooler colour temperatures are higher up on the scale.
The sections of colour temperature include:
Warm white light: 2700K to 3500K
Natural white light: 4000K to 4500K
Cool white light: 5000K to 6500K
DO Add a Variety of Lumen Counts
In order to create a dynamic space, avoid using the same brightness in each garden lamp. By varying the brightness level, you can create depth and texture while setting a mood in various areas.
Different kinds of garden LED lights benefit from different lumen counts. General guidelines for brightnesses of various outdoor lights for garden include:
- Step lighting: 12-100 lumens
- Garden wall lights: 50-185 lumens
- Path lighting: 100-200 lumens
- Motion sensor lights: 300-700 lumens
- Pool lights: 200-400 lumens
- Flood lights: 700-1300 lumens
What Are Lumens?
Where colour temperature measures a light’s warmth or coolness, lumens measure their brightness. Before outdoor LED lights became the norm, halogen and incandescent bulbs were the available choices.
These traditional bulb styles measured their brightness in watts. LED bulbs instead measure brightness in lumens.
To get a rough idea of how watts translate to lumens, see below:
- 40 watts equal 450 lumens
- 60 watts equal 800 lumens
- 75 watts equal 1100 lumens
- 100 watts equal 1600 lumens
Using this information, you can better visualise what your different layers of light might look like.
DO Take Advantage of LED Lights
LED outdoor lighting is the preferred type of lighting in the modern age. LEDs plenty of beneficial points, including energy efficiency, choice of colour temperature and brightness, lack of heat output and so much more. Use them in your outdoor wall lights, porch lighting, bollard lights and anywhere else you plan to add illumination outdoors.
- Many of the benefits of LED mains powered garden lights are unique to LED lights alone. These include:
Energy efficiency. LED bulbs use 80 percent less energy than a traditional halogen bulb, which uses most of its energy as heat. Lower energy consumption means that you will get more bang for your buck.
Eco-friendly. The limited energy use is also better for the environment. Lower energy consumption reduces your carbon footprint which can create a positive impact on the climate.
Long life. While traditional bulbs run for an average of 1,000 hours, LED bulbs go for tens of thousands. This will lead to fewer replacements.
Cost-effective. A combination of less energy used and a lessened need for replacements will save you money both in the short and long term.
Versatility. With so many lumen counts and colour temperature variations, you can stay in control of exactly how your lights are used.
Durability. LED lights are made from hard-wearing materials and come with an IP rating. LED weatherproof lights prevent damage from befalling the lights from being exposed to the elements.
DO Choose Quality Fixtures
Outdoor lamps are constantly exposed to wind, rain and sunshine. This can quickly cause wear and tear if you are not using high quality lighting. With quality lighting, you can be sure that the lights can withstand the elements without deteriorating immediately. Choose lights that are well built from high quality, corrosion-resistant materials. Also, be sure to choose lights that have the right IP rating.
DO Be Mindful of The IP Rating
An IP rating, or Ingress Protection rating, is a way to tell how resilient a given light is against moisture and debris. Since your outside lighting will be exposed to wind, rain and likely snow, it is important that you choose waterproof outdoor lights. A water-tight light will give you peace of mind regarding potential water damage.
IP ratings are a crucial element of outside lights for house and home. This information will be your main defense against damages from the effects of weather.
IP ratings indicate a light’s resistance against both moisture and solid matter. By choosing the IP rating that best suits the fixture’s exposure to weather, you can ensure a longer life. It is a good idea to get familiar with IP ratings and what exactly they mean before shopping:
First Digit - Solids
0 - Offers no protection against entry of solids
1 - Gives protection from solid objects greater in size than 50 millimeters in diameter
2 - Gives protection from solid objects greater in size than 12.5 millimeters in diameter
3 - Gives protection from solid objects greater in size than 2.5 millimeters in diameter
4 - Gives protection from solid objects greater in size than one millimeter in diameter
5 - Dust protected
6 - Dust tight
Second Digits - Solids
0 - Offers no protection against entry of liquids
1 - Gives protection against vertically falling droplets
2 - Gives protection against water drops at a 15-degree angle
3 - Gives protection against water spray up to a 60-degree angle
4 - Gives protection against splashing water from any direction
5 - Gives protection against low-pressure water jets
6 - Gives protection against high-powered water jets
7 - Gives protection against immersion in water at a depth of 1m for 30 minutes
8 - Gives protection against longer periods of immersion
DO Complement The Architecture With Lighting
Choose lights with a material and finish that looks good with the existing architecture of the home and garden areas. You want the lights to blend into the environment seamlessly.
- Your architecture can quickly become a focal point in your garden with the right lighting. Whether you have a little alcove or niche you want to illuminate or you have tall columns you want to draw attention to, the following types of accent lighting can help:
UPLIGHTING is a popular way to light the architecture in an area. This involves placing the lights on the ground or otherwise near it and then shining it upwards. Uplighting is often used for illuminating posts, columns and sculptures. You can also use it to accent the walls themselves. Similarly, using downlights to shine illumination down a wall instead of up can create visual drama.
WALL GRAZING can call attention to interesting textures. Positioning outdoor up down lights close to the wall will highlight these surface features and cast interesting shadows to draw out their details.
SPOTLIGHTS are another common style of lights when it comes to illuminating architecture. They are ideal for lighting up larger items or creating a silhouette against a wall. All you have to do is place the spotlight opposite a sculpture or tree in the direction of the wall to achieve this.
DO Light up Your Deck
If your deck is primarily where you spend your time outdoors, you should light it appropriately. Bollard lamp decking lights, recessed outdoor wall lights and other low level lights tend to be the best choice in locations such as these.
DO Consider Security Lights
Lights can serve a greater purpose than just illuminating a space. They can also provide security to the home, as a well-lit garden could deter potential intruders from trying to access your property. You can also add lights expressly for that purpose, such as spotlights and flood lights.
DO Angle Your Lights
Having the lights angled away from eye level will cast lighting to see by without causing a glare in your eyes.
DO Space The Lights Evenly
This will ensure that the entire garden has plenty of illumination as opposed to grouping them together all in one place.
Don’ts of Outdoor Lighting
DON’T Choose Brightness Above all
Ultra-bright lights won’t necessarily be the best choice for LED garden lights. Though it may seem intuitive to use fewer, brighter lights, it can create an unattractive look in your space. Using varied brightness to achieve the same even spread of illumination will create a much more inviting space.
DON'T: Place lights where they cause glare
To ensure the lights are as visually comfortable as possible, make sure your LED garden lighting is strategically placed. Taking care with placement will reduce glare when you look at them, which is especially important at night. Not having to squint past glare may also make the outdoor space safer to navigate, as you'll be able to clearly see where you're going.
Then, there is the matter of aesthetics. Glaring lights are unattractive and can take away from the soft ambiance of your outdoor living space. Use warm lighting with a lower lumen count and place them just above eye level to reduce the risk of glare.
DON'T: Forget to think about seasonal changes in the garden
One of the biggest exterior lighting mistakes to make is neglecting how things will look throughout the year. For example, the number of daylight hours waxes and wanes through the months, and your lighting needs will therefore change as well. Having lights on timers that you can set will ensure they are on as soon as you need them and will turn off at the appropriate hour.
Similarly, lights will have fewer leaves to shine through in winter than in summer. Plan for these seasonal changes to make sure one season is not much brighter or darker than the other in your outdoor living space.
DON’T Just Cover The Wires, Bury Them
As you begin working through your garden lighting ideas, don’t neglect to think about the wires that connect to the lights. In order to avoid the hassle of replacing the wires often, as well as promoting safety, bury the light wires underground. Do this instead of just covering them with mulch, which can leave them vulnerable when mowing or when it rains.
DON’T Forget to Light The Stairs
Outdoor stairs can pose a real risk in the dark if they aren’t lit properly. Using recessed garden wall lights, you can illuminate the stairs both for safety and aesthetic purposes.
DON’T Neglect The Pathways
Throughout your garden, there are likely pathways leading to various outdoor areas. By outlining the areas, you make it easier and safer for guests to find their way around. Bollard and outdoor spike lights tend to be the most popular options for this application.
DON’T Point Lights Directly at Your House
This will create an unattractive look and can even create a “UFO” beam style that can detract from the appearance of the house. Instead, use the landscape to filter the lighting and create moody shadows.
DON’T Skip Out on Design Input
One of the best things you can do is to get some perspective on your outdoor lighting ideas. It’s a good idea to consult a lighting designer for input on where to place the lights and other considerations to ensure you are happy with the results.
DON’T Choose The Wrong Size Porch Lights
Outdoor patio lights and porch lights should be scaled to the size of the door and house. For instance, if you plan to use a pair of lights to flank the doors, choose lights that are a quarter of the height of the door. If you only want to use one, choose a fixture that is approximately one-third of the height of the door.
DON’T Light Pathways in a Straight Line
This can leave guests feeling as if they are walking down an airport runway or a driveway. Instead, stagger the lighting and get creative to make the lighting experience unique and visually interesting.
DON’T Neglect The Unique Features
Using outdoor lantern lights, uplighters and other such fixtures, you can highlight trees, shrubs, sculptures, trees, walls, fountains and other points of interest in the garden. This will give them the attention they deserve while also creating a focal point outdoors.
DON’T Rely on Clear Lenses
Clear lenses could lead to an abrasive glare. Instead, opt for frosted diffusers, such as acrylic, to soften the light without dampening its overall brightness.
