When you have a beautiful outdoor space, you should be able to enjoy it at all times of the day and night. Having outdoor lighting installed at your home in the Milton, DE, area is a great way to extend the amount of time you spend outside. It can be used to illuminate the outdoor living areas but can also be used to enhance the aesthetics of your home and landscape. Here are some outdoor lighting methods you may want to consider.
Walkway Lighting
Your family and guests will appreciate having well-lit walkways so they can see clearly when traversing your outdoor spaces. Decorative light fixtures can be installed along walkways to not only illuminate the route but to add style and character. For example, you can choose from various light fixture finishes that may include black, bronze, brass, or nickel, just to name a few.
Wall Washing
One outdoor lighting technique that you may want to consider is wall washing, which involves placing a light at the base of a wall and shining a low amount of light toward the wall at a wide angle. This method illuminates the wall with subtle light and adds drama to the landscape.
Shadowing
The shadowing technique involves installing outdoor lighting in front of a plant or other feature that is along a wall and shining the light up toward the plant or feature. This method highlights the object's texture and creates magnified long shadows on the wall behind it. This outdoor lighting technique looks especially dramatic when used on plants with open and delicate leaves and branches.
Silhouetting
Silhouette lighting is a technique that involves illuminating a vertical surface behind an object, such as a plant. This method essentially creates a silhouette of the object and looks especially striking on things with a unique shape. For example, this outdoor lighting method could be used to highlight the intricacy of a topiary.
Built-In Lighting
Many homeowners find that built-in lighting is especially helpful. Outdoor lights can be built into steps so that whoever is walking up or down the steps can see each stair clearly, helping to avoid falls. Retaining walls are also an excellent location for built-in lighting, especially if they are located near your outdoor living areas. Anywhere you have natural stone features or other types of masonry, you can likely have built-in lighting installed. This could include spaces such as within your outdoor kitchen and seating walls.
Moonlighting
Even the name of this outdoor lighting technique sounds magical. With this method, a light is placed near the top of a tall object such as a tree and shines downward toward the object. When this technique is used on a tree, it will create shadows of the leaves and tree branches on the ground. When the wind blows, it will cause the shadows to dance upon the ground, which adds ambiance to your outdoor space while also providing subtle lighting.
Spotlighting
Put your beautiful plants or artistic features into the spotlight when you have this technique applied to your landscape. Spotlighting is great for highlighting a specific plant or feature because it involves shining a bright and direct light onto an object to fully illuminate it. This could be used on a statue or on a flag, among other uses.