When you arrive at your Ocean View and Long Neck, DE, area home after a long day of work or after a busy day, you want to feel welcomed. A customized outdoor lighting plan with this concept in mind can make your home appear warm and inviting. This plan can bring out the best of your outdoor surroundings, by giving them special attention that can only be achieved after the sun sets, with the ultimate goal of highlighting your beautiful home and landscape. Here are some of the features that could be a critical part of your outdoor lighting plan.
Walkways
In addition to bringing out the beauty of your paver walkway, a well-lit walkway will help keep you and your guests safe when navigating the landscape. Ample lighting helps to avoid trips and falls. Plus, your guests will have a clear path to follow when they visit your home in the evenings.
If you have steps within your landscape design, you may want to include step lighting, to highlight the expert masonry and provide a clear view. This type of lighting brightens up each step, which will also help you and your guests avoid tripping. Step lights are great for entrances with stairs or for deck stairs.
Entrances
The front door of your home can also benefit from bright lighting. This type of lighting is a great security measure, but will also make your home appear more welcoming. It will give your guests peace of mind when they can see the space around them.
Lighting around garage doors is also a good look, as part of an overall landscape lighting plan. The garage lights will help to light up the driveway and increase visibility, which will improve overall safety in the evenings.
Key Features
If your home has beautiful architectural features, you will want them to be on full display, even in the dark. Spotlighting can highlight key features on the exterior of your home itself as well as any features that you have throughout your landscape. These features could include statues, water features, or anything you would like to bring attention to at night.
Uplighting and downlighting are effective outdoor lighting techniques for this very purpose. With this type of lighting, the light either shines down from above or shines up from below. This casts light onto the home, creates shadows, and looks stunning from a design standpoint.
Trees and Plants
If you have beautiful trees and plants throughout your landscaping, it is a great idea to highlight these even during the evenings. The light is placed at the base of the tree trunk and shines upward. This lighting can highlight the branches, leaves, or even blooms on the tree.
Downlighting involves placing the light toward the top of a tree and shining it downward. This method creates shadows, which can make for a magical atmosphere as the wind blows through the trees and causes the shadows to dance on the ground.
Lighting for your fine garden is an option, as a way to accent the beauty that would otherwise be hidden at night. Lighting fixtures can be placed along the edge of a flower bed to establish a boundary within the landscape. Soft lighting in flower beds is also an option for accenting colorful flowers so that you can enjoy their beauty even in the evening.
Related: Make Your Front Yard Pop with These Design Ideas for Outdoor Lighting in Selbyville and Milton, DE