subject: Tips On Using Light Bulbs For Outdoor Spaces [print this page] Good lighting is an important component of creating a beautiful, practical and safe home, both indoors and outdoors. However, using lights on outdoor spaces can be a little tricky than installing lights in indoor areas mainly because of the natural elements of sun, rain and snow that must be considered.
Add in the fact that creating a good first impression starts with the home's exteriors and home owners can be intimidated by the thought of putting lights outside their homes beyond the usual door lights.
Well, that's a shame considering that installing outdoor lights can be easy with careful planning. Add in a little help from family and friends and your home will be as inviting on the outside as it is cosy on the inside.
Identify the Main Purpose:
Your first step is to identify the main purpose for whatever outdoor area you want to illuminate in a beautiful manner. Will the patio be used for entertaining friends, or for personal meditation, or for family dining on weekends? Will the front yard be used as a garden filled with flowering plants or a play area where the family can relax?
Keep in mind that the best lighting plan relates to the way that the outdoor place will be used for in the future. For example, if the patio will be used for personal meditation, the best lights should have low lumens for a mellow effect. If the patio is for entertaining friends, then ambient, task and accent lights must be planned in advance.
Plus, knowing the main function of the outdoor area makes it easier to plan the locations for the switches, transformers and conduits as well as the types of light bulbs to be used. Safety is always the main concern when it comes to anything electrical in nature so planning is all-important.
Use the Moonlight for Inspiration:
We can agree that harsh lighting during the night adversely competes with the best light - moonlight, that is. You will want to mimic the effect of moonlight shining down on the plants, trees and flowers as well as on the surfaces of the house. It's a romantic, elegant and beautiful sight, indeed.
To achieve the moonlight effect, you can place light fixtures along the pathways, beside low-level shrubs and around man-made structures. Also, you can mount luminaries along the branches of trees so that the effect is moonlight touching the leaves ever so gently. Soft lighting is the best type for this purpose.
When choosing the lights, we suggest keeping the fixtures simple while still making these items attractive. It's a delicate balance but it's possible. Take note that the main purpose of the fixtures is to provide protection for the light bulbs inside instead of being the main attractions themselves.
Also, use blue colour-correcting filters known as daylights near the plants. Incandescent lights tend to cast sickly-looking tones on green plants while daylights eliminate the yellow tones, thus, making the plants look healthy even during the night.
Use Spaces for Lights:
You may be tempted to illuminate outdoor spaces to within an inch of their grounds. Well, don't do it because the effect is harsh on the eyes, to say the least. Instead, use spacing techniques to separate the lights and create an elegant effect. For example, space the lighting fixtures so that good illumination for safety purposes is guaranteed without going into overkill mode. Look at the brightness of the lights and then experiment with the spacing.
As plain and as common as light bulbs may be in modern life, these items can be used to create a magical outdoor space for your home.
