Perhaps your a person who pays a great deal of attention to your home's curb appeal. You probably keep your lawn well-manicured, plant gorgeous seasonal flowers, and maybe you've even installed beautiful walkways. During the daytime, everything looks great. When the sun goes down, does your home still look as fabulous as it really is? Unfortunately, exterior landscape lighting is often ignored. The right exterior lighting plan can increase your personal safety, highlight your home’s beautiful features, and improve your outdoor living space’s functionality.

Heighten Home Security and Personal Safety

One of the top tips in preventing home burglaries is to make it hard to break in. Exterior lighting draws attention to your home and, likewise, draws attention to unwanted guests. Consider lighting entryways, walkways, driveways, and any other area where a little extra light would make your family feel more secure as they come and go at night.

Improve Aesthetics

A well-lit home showcases its beauty. A comprehensive lighting plan will illuminate your home's best features and hide the areas you like the least. Lights can be used to focus on your home's unique architectural details and structure or the beautiful mature trees in your front yard. Well-placed fixtures will bathe your most beautiful plantings in warm light throughout the night, showcasing their beauty around the clock.

Improve Space Functionality

Your outdoor living space, whether it be a paved patio, pool deck, or seating area, is an extension of your home's living area. Consider layering lights to create a warm, welcoming space where you can easily enjoy the company of friends and family.

Make Your Plan

Every great landscape design starts with a plan. Study your outdoor spaces carefully. Determine which features you want to highlight, which areas need illumination for safety purposes, and what outdoor spaces you use the most in the evenings. Armed with this preliminary information, consider the following types of lighting. A successful lighting plan will use a variety of these lights to create a well-balanced illumination design:

Illumination Options

• Flood lights are the bright lights that most of us imagine when thinking of outdoor lighting solutions. These cast a wide, bright light on homes, fences, and yards.
• Garden lights feature canopies on top of posts about two feet tall. These lights direct light downward to highlight plantings. These could also be used along a stone walkway or sidewalk. 
• Wash lights provide a diffused light that works well to highlight flat surfaces such as your home’s facade or a privacy fence.
• Bullet lights are compact and provide a narrow, focused beam of light that works well to showcase trees and highlight your home’s best features.
• Downlight fixtures deliver a gentle, moonlight effect when placed high in trees, either on the trunk or on sturdy branches.

If you still aren't sure where to start, visit our showroom today. Our lighting experts can help you get started with an exterior lighting plan that works for your home's unique exterior. Come check out our extensive selection of exterior lighting options to find the pieces that best match your personal style.