When we design outdoor lighting,what are the most important factors should we consider? In fact,it’s easy to recognize good outdoor lighting when you see it. When the sun goes down, the house looks welcoming. There are no dark shadows, and entrances and the driveway are well-lit, secure and beautiful.
You can create the same welcoming ambiance for the house or building with a good outdoor lighting plan. Maybe you already have a list of your goals for lighting the home’s exterior. Here are 5 essential tips of home outdoor lighting design for your reference.
1. Security
The security and the safety of outdoor lighting might seem to be similar goals, but security also includes when outdoor lights come on. One approach is to use motion sensor lights to some of your outdoor lighting, so lights turn on when someone enters your property. This includes animals, so you may want to be selective if a bedroom overlooks an area with frequent nocturnal activity.
Generally, it’s fine to turn on the porch or front light at dusk, and to leave it on until bedtime. Turning off a light consistently indicates the home is in use and someone is present.
Another option is to use controller to turn outdoor lights on and off on a schedule. Remember, though, that using a controller set to a consistent schedule when owner is away may not be the best way to secure our home. Smart criminals observe a home before deciding whether or not to act, so it may be better to set an irregular schedule or even skip nights occasionally.
Some outdoor lighting manufacturers now offer smart lighting apps that allow us to control the lighting remotely even when we’re away. Our lighting experts are trained in the latest Smart Lighting products and are happy to show you what’s available.
2. Safety
Make sure the entrances and paths are well-lit and shadow-free to avoid falls at night. This includes the front entrance, garden paths, and side doors. Stairs should be included in our plan, since they are a primary cause of injury.
There are a number of ways to light stairs:
- Individual step lights that are mounted on a post or stair railing
- Flexible LED strip lighting, cut to size for each step
- Under-tread lights
- Standalone bollards or post lights
Depending on the type of stairs ( deck, stone, concrete), any of these types of lighting could be appropriate, and would greatly increase the safety of navigating stairways at night.
3. Energy
If you love the idea of increasing the security and beauty of the outdoor space with lighting, but don’t like the thought of a higher electric bill, think again. Today’s outdoor lighting can be incredibly energy efficient if we invest in LED bulbs or fixtures. The savings from upgrading our outdoor lighting to LED is tremendous: In one year, one LED light has an average annual energy cost of $1.00 – compared with $9.80 for a traditional incandescent bulb. Multiply that by the number of bulbs in our home, and that’s a significant figure.
LED bulbs used to be far more expensive, but research and competition have resulted in lower prices, so the time has never been better to make the change to LED.
4. Yard or garden features
The fun part of our lighting plan is deciding which yard or garden features are good candidates for lighting. Is there a striking tree or an espaliered wall to show off? Subtle uplighting will highlight these features. Outdoor sculptures or terraced gardens are beautiful at night with the addition of lighting.
Water features offer a special opportunity for lighting. The play of water and light at night is magical, and today’s new waterproof LED lighting is a fantastic way to add drama and beauty to our swimming pool, outdoor pond, fountain or other water feature. Our lighting experts can guide you in selecting subtle but effective feature lighting.
5. Lifestyle
With spring weather, or if we live in a warm weather climate, our family will likely spend more time outdoors. Our busy lives make every chance to relax even more important, so make sure our outdoor living space is comfortable and well-lit when you have time to enjoy it.
An outdoor chandelier adds a touch of elegance to any space – and creates a soft ambiance for evening parties or family dinners. Include a dimming system in our plan so we can increase the lighting level for a party or dim it for a romantic evening.
Complete your outdoor lighting plan with a simple sketch of the home. Bring it in to our lighting professionals for the best advice and product selection. We know light!
About AIS :
AIS LED is a leading LED lighting supplier with innovative green technology. We are specialized in the manufacturing of innovative, next-generation LED lighting solutions such as E27/E40 LED corn bulb, LED street lights, PL G24 LED lights, PL G23 LED bulbs, portable LED work lights, LED Flood lights,R7S LED bulb, LED stadium lights and so on. AIS LED is committed to providing high-quality, sustainable, green lighting solutions to the world LED lights market.
