Highlight Your Home With Landscape Lighting

Properly designed landscape lighting can add beauty to your home, welcome guests, and provide additional safety. Yet, too much exterior lighting or poorly placed lighting can be more of a distraction than an enhancement. Consider the following tips when lighting your home.

Design a Lighting Plan

Before buying landscaping lighting, take a look at your home’s existing exterior lights. What areas need more light and which are bright enough? Look for architectural areas you would like to highlight, as well as steps and entrances that would be safer with better illumination.

Home Entrances

Your front porch should be well-lit to welcome your guests and let you clearly see people who come to your door. You may have an overhead light or lights on either side of your front door. Don’t overlook the other entrances to your home. Lights at side and back entrances provide safety, especially if you install lights with motion sensors.

Path Lighting

Path lighting makes your home more inviting for guests, while also making it safer for anyone walking around your home after dark. You can use solar or wired low-voltage lighting along the path to your front door and also along any paths in the rest of your yard. These are usually small lights, primarily designed to light the ground.

Decks and Patio Lights

If your deck or patio includes any task areas, such as a grill or outdoor kitchen, you may want to highlight them with brighter lights. Otherwise, small scattered lights can give your outdoor space a more cozy or romantic feel. Look for options like strings of mini-lights, flexible rope lights, or small lights that can be mounted in intervals along your railing.

Spotlights to Accent Your Home

Anther way to add landscape lighting is to highlight your home’s best features. You can use directional spotlights to accent architectural elements, trees, or other favorite features. If you have a pool or fountain, you can also add underwater lights that will offer a soft glow.

Security Lights

For added safety, you may also want to add security lights to your home. These motion-sensor flood lights are typically installed at a higher point and aimed to illuminate your yard. This added light may discourage prowlers whether you are home or away.
To make the most of your landscape lighting, design a plan that works for your entire home and yard. Adding a variety of lighting will enhance your home and make it easier to use your yard, day or night.