With the fall season comes shorter days and more evenings spent enjoying your outdoor space. During the day, your landscape design in Mecklenburg County, VA, really stands out, but how about at night? Consider adding these five outdoor lighting ideas to illuminate your landscape design after the sun goes down.
Uplighting
Uplighting are lights installed at ground level and pointed upward to emphasize specific parts of your landscape design that deserve special attention at night. This can be an especially useful strategy for highlighting a water feature like a fountain, a specimen tree or shrub, or an outdoor fireplace.
Sometimes referred to as bullet lights, uplighting fixtures will help to give depth to the nightscape, create intriguing shadows, and form boundaries around your landscape. Your landscape contractor can work closely with you to decide on whether uplighting would create the kind of effect you would like for your nighttime landscaping.
Downlighting
Downlighting refers to lights installed at a high point and positioned to shine down to illuminate your beautiful landscape design. Your outdoor lighting contractor can install downlights in trees and shrubs at various positions for a compelling effect. Use downlights to shine down on an inground pool, landscaping bed, or your overall outdoor living space.
A properly placed downlight will replicate the moonlight shining through the trees, to give your landscape feature a natural appearing lighting effect that is both beautiful and illuminating—helping to make your landscape feel warm and inviting.
Pots and Planters
Illuminating pots and planters is another good way to set a mood and help make your landscape more inviting during the evening hours. The light fixtures used are weather-resistant, versatile, and available in many different shapes and sizes. They could be placed by the planters that sit by your front door or alongside your patio, for example.
Different Shapes
Using outdoor lighting with different geometric shapes will bring beauty to any landscape by bringing an aesthetic look to the structure of the light itself and to the light it casts. For instance, lamp posts could feature an acorn-shaped top or a lantern style. For a covered patio, add a touch of class to your structure with the addition of a chandelier.
Just like the various shapes and sizes of your landscape features help to achieve a particular aesthetic for your overall outdoor living space, your outdoor lights’ design choices could enhance your landscape’s beauty even more.
Opportunities for Other Lighting Options
A patio or pavilion could open up opportunities to hang string lights, for a trendy effect that can create an intimate feel when you are having small gatherings. These outdoor lights could be strung over a patio, for instance. Another option when you need something extra for the finer details of your landscape is a series of lanterns. Set the mood by placing a lantern on your outdoor dining table. Solar-powered lanterns could save you time by not having to light each one, giving you more time to relax and enjoy the star-filled night sky, and your beautiful outdoor living space.