Homeowners often overlook lighting when working on their landscape design in Calgary, passing it off as an extra cost. But in reality, lighting plays a massive role in improving the ambiance of your outdoor space and making it more appealing. As winters and long evenings approach, installing warm and inviting lights can amp up your landscaping game.
Why Outdoor Lighting Matters
Good outdoor lighting will add a welcoming ambiance to your outdoor living area. A simple lamp post or wall fixture may illuminate your backyard, but the same flush of light everywhere can make the area dull.
Accent lighting is the opposite, focusing more on a particular area or object. This is a great tool to highlight key features of your patio space, like a luscious plant bed or a rustic pergola, and make them attractive. Plus, what’s the point of having a gorgeous landscape design if there’s no lighting to go along with it?
That’s not all, though. You can set the mood for your space by playing around with illumination. If you plan to enjoy a romantic dinner, you can only turn on the dimmer lights (like fairy lights and lanterns) to create the right ambiance. For more festive parties, you can bring in bright ones.
There are a few other perks to good lighting.
- Squatters and thieves tend to stay away from illuminated homes.
- Lighting and additional fixtures in the backyard increase property value for homeowners looking to buy.
Cozy Outdoor Lighting Ideas
String Lights
Let’s start with a common one, string lights. These low-voltage accent lights create a soft ambiance, perfect for hosting a small dinner.
Bubble ball-shaped string lights or string lights with bare bulbs are more desirable for patio lighting. These can be wrapped around the post of a gazebo or attached to the roof of your house.
Fairy lights are an alternate choice, but they look better hanging around a tree or plant you want to highlight.
When shopping for string lights, look for waterproof and rechargeable products (preferably solar-powered) with warm LED bulbs. Battery-powered lights don’t need extension cords, so they can fit wherever there’s no outlet.
Rustic Lantern Fixtures
Adding lanterns near your back door is a lovely way of introducing anyone to the ambiance of your backyard space. Wall lanterns can be used to highlight arches, wreaths, and windows.
They come in multiple designs. Most of them are sem-flushed with both glass and metal exteriors. Translucent lanterns are the best option because they disperse light without glare, unlike clear glass.
Walkway Light Posts
Of course, no backyard design would be complete if the gravel path wasn’t illuminated. You need moderately bright lighting to make the path safe to walk.
Or maybe you’d want to use the placement of lamp posts to your advantage and highlight along the stepping stones or cobblestone path.
If there are stairs, installing a round light fixed on the underside of every step is a good idea. These lights can extend to features like flower beds and fountains to contour the area and make them stand out even more.
LED For Modern Finish
For the more active areas of your backyard, luminous LEDs are the way to go. These give your backyard a modern and clean look. LED lights fit best around square-cut stepping stone pathways, underneath a table, along an electric fireplace, and on the edge of a sitting area.
Placing LEDs near a swimming pool is another innovative idea, as it adds a flood of brightness and makes the area safer. Moreover, LED downlights are fantastic for your outdoor BBQ and cooking area, while tape lights can be used below countertops.
Illuminated Fireplace
Have a sheltered patio with a fireplace or fire pit? Make the area feel cozier with warm-toned lights. If the fireplace is a little high up mounted on a brick wall, you can have covered lights installed below them.
Another great way to elevate the design is by adding low-hanging naked bulbs from the roof of a wooden veranda or pergola near the fireplace and just over the seating area. For some extra glow, place candle pots on the hearth. Remember, the lighting should be sufficient so you can still enjoy the space without the fireplace being turned on.