Landscape Design
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Outdoor Lighting to Make Your Home and Landscape Glow
Let your home be a beacon at night with exterior lights for pathways, pools, trees and, of course, the front door
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor based out of Hershey, PA. Come visit me at 'A Nest for All Seasons' where I write about design, photography and modern garden living!
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor... More »
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There is something about a house at night, glowing from within, that beckons you home. Translate that effect to your yard and you can gain extra outdoor rooms all night long.
Start with the front door to welcome visitors at night, add a few lights to your garden or backyard patio, or even spice up a few trees with some uplighting. Lighting can be as minimal and inexpensive as a few solar lights from a home improvement store or can get complex and expensive with designed installations. Whether you choose to spend a lot or a little, the smallest bit of light can go a long way in the dark.
Take a peek into a few homes at night, lit from within and without in varying degrees of brightness. Subtle patios, glittering fountains and sculptural trees all get a boost from a little light. Where could you add a little glow to your home at night?
Start with the front door to welcome visitors at night, add a few lights to your garden or backyard patio, or even spice up a few trees with some uplighting. Lighting can be as minimal and inexpensive as a few solar lights from a home improvement store or can get complex and expensive with designed installations. Whether you choose to spend a lot or a little, the smallest bit of light can go a long way in the dark.
Take a peek into a few homes at night, lit from within and without in varying degrees of brightness. Subtle patios, glittering fountains and sculptural trees all get a boost from a little light. Where could you add a little glow to your home at night?
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| A Well-Lit Welcome It all starts at the front door. Simple sconces flanking the door can add enough light for visitors, while uplighting along posts and a warm glow from within are even more inviting. |
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| Make sure visitors don't trip by illuminating the path to the front door. Lighting the path and the door itself is the priority with night lighting. |
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by FORMA Design
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| Lighting Paths When steps and walkways cut paths through the garden at night, lighting can be beneficial. Dangerous when dark, paths become a design feature with the addition of night lights. |
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| Start with just a few lights and add more to amp up the intensity as guests get closer to the front door. Welcome them with a strong glowing front porch light. |
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Lighting Art
Beautiful sculptural pieces would get lost in the dark without illumination. Lighting the home behind the sculpture gives an art installation depth and presence.
Beautiful sculptural pieces would get lost in the dark without illumination. Lighting the home behind the sculpture gives an art installation depth and presence.
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Lighting Up the Trees
Uplighting trees can add drama to a night garden, particularly when the tree has a striking form. Huge, twisting branches seem alive when lit from within and below.
Uplighting trees can add drama to a night garden, particularly when the tree has a striking form. Huge, twisting branches seem alive when lit from within and below.
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| Try placing uplighting beneath trees and bushes to create cool shadows at night. Installing the lights at night, or simply experimenting with a flashlight before installing, allows you to see exactly how the shadows will play at night. |
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Another option is to uplight the tree to focus on the shape as a whole instead of concentrating on shadow. Additional lighting under the bench seating in this photo allows the area to function at night instead of disappearing into the darkness.
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| Lighting Up the Waters Water features gain extra drama when illuminated at night. |
| Illuminating a pool is a classic use of outdoor night lighting. Few things are as magical. |
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| Illuminated fountains seem to glitter at night as the water and light bounce off each other to delightful effect. |
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| Tame the Light Lighting doesn't have to be brilliant to create impact. Subtle lighting that peeks out from wall slats gives enough glow to make this backyard patio romantic and cozy. |
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| Subtle lighting around the front door can also be effective without going over the top. A few spotlights give depth to a blank wall, while strip lighting emphasizes the linear architecture. |
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| Whether you are lighting human-made art or the incredible lines of nature, pathways through the garden or the plants within, lights can change the night landscape in beautiful ways. More: The Top 3 Ways to Light Up Your Landscape |
Ideabook published on Nov. 25, 2012.
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We are planning to add more and very well-considered lighting next year and this ideabook is extremely helpful. Thank you.