Remodeling the landscape of the home is a great time to look at outdoor lights. With so many options available for lighting up the outdoor area of the home it would be hard not to find a lighting option to suit the décor of the home.

Outdoor lights add ambience, safety and security to the home. They light up the darkness which deters strangers from coming into the yard, keeps people from falling while walking through the yard and adds beauty and delight to the lawn and garden for families to enjoy.

Outdoor lights allow for entertaining after dark. From outdoor barbecues to summer dances or just spending a quiet evening in the garden, outdoor lights add the necessary illumination for being able to see. Unlike indoor lighting that is often bright and lights up the room, outdoor lights should be softer, adding light only to small areas at a time.

Homes with outdoor pools or hot tubs benefit from outdoor lighting by extending the swimming time. During hot summer months, outdoor lights around the pool area allow for nocturnal swimming and pool parties. Professional installers can add lighting to the inside of the pool to light the pool up from the inside, not only do these add safety; they bring the pool to life with a myriad of dancing shadows on the water.

Design and Installation

Outdoor lighting design and installation can be a do-it-yourself project or can be completed by professionals. That decision will be guided by cost and experience. It may be more practical to design and install in stages rather than doing the entire yard at one time.

When designing the landscape lighting, care should be taken to start with lighting for safety purposes before adding the lighting that is enhancement only. To get an idea of where to start, walk outside after dark on a night that has very little moonlight. Make note of the areas that are the darkest and are in the main walkways, such as from the driveway to the door.

Use these notes to design safety lighting. Add a pole light or other entrance light to the driveway entrance to help visitors see to get to the house without damaging flower gardens or the mailbox. Consider using rope lights to outline the driveway and keep vehicles on the right pathway.

Add path lights from the car parking area to the front door to help visitors see to get in the house. Porch areas benefit from the addition of wall lighting. The design can be a simple one light design, or a larger design with wall lights on each side of the door and a ceiling light for overhead lighting.

These simple, yet functional uses of outdoor lighting for safety purposes are the first steps to creating an overall lighting plan for the home. After the safety lighting features have been added the homeowner can begin designing the lighting plan for ambience and enhancement.