How to Choose the Right Outdoor Lighting Fixtures for Your Home

 

Choosing the right landscape lighting fixtures for your home can be daunting. With so many options available, it can be hard to know what style and type of outdoor light fixtures will best fit your home's exterior. 

Fortunately, with a few simple guidelines and creative walkway lighting ideas, you can find the perfect outdoor wall lights that will bring beauty and security to your home. In this article, we will discuss how to choose the right outdoor light fixtures for your home.

 

Light Fixture Dimensions

The most frequent error is choosing lights that are too small. Since they frequently install smaller fittings to save money, builders shouldn't be trusted to install the right size fixture for your property.

If there is only one light in the front entrance area, a decent rule of thumb is to choose a fixture that is 1/3 the height of the door and 1/4 the height of the door if lights are flanking the entrance.

 

Style and Color of the Light Fixture

Consider your home's architectural elements and color scheme when choosing a color or style of the fixture. No matter how much you may personally be pulled to a specific type of lighting, it must match the design of your house (e.g., coastal-inspired fixtures belong on a coastal home).

For instance, I chose oil-rubbed bronze fixtures because they match the hardware on our doors and the copper roof next to the front door. In addition, the new fixture's clean, traditional forms complement the transitional design of our house.

 

What is Landscape Lighting and How Can It Enhance Your Outdoor Spaces?

Landscape lighting is an essential part of any outdoor space. It adds aesthetic appeal and functionality to your property while providing safety and security. Landscape lighting can highlight special features on your property, create ambiance, or provide illumination for pathways. With the right design, you can use landscape lighting to transform your outdoor spaces into beautiful and inviting areas for entertaining or relaxing. 

By understanding the different types of landscape lighting available and how they can be used in various applications, you can create a unique look that will enhance the beauty of your outdoor spaces.

 

5 Tips for Installing the Perfect Landscape Lighting System

Installing the perfect landscape lighting system is a great way to add beauty and value to your home. With the right fixtures, you can create an inviting atmosphere that family and friends will enjoy. However, it’s essential to take the time to plan out your lighting system before you start installing it. 

Here are five tips for installing the perfect landscape lighting system for your home:

 

Step 1: Involves unpacking and assembling your outdoor lighting equipment. Take everything out of the package, and add mounts and bulbs to any lamp-ready fixtures. 

There are several mounting options, but the fittest fits into one of these three groups. When an institution is a stake mounted, a stake is fastened to it before being inserted into the ground. When a fixture needs to be mounted to a solid surface, surface mounting is used, and it typically calls for a power drill. 

Finally, for in-ground support, which entails mounting a device directly into the ground, having a spade, shovel, or post-hole digger handy is quite helpful.

 

Step 2: Plan and dig your primary wire runs' trenches. Most individuals use a shovel or spade for trenching, but other, more specialized instruments are available. Your local codes will define the actual depth of the trenches, although low-voltage wire is usually buried at least 6 inches deep. Once the canals are dug, insert the cables and bury them in the earth.

 

Step 3: Join fixtures to your main runs by splicing their lead wires. The use of twist-on style connectors is the most typical technique. The final half inch of wire at each end is stripped, and the connections are then established by clockwise twisting the wires together. 

When the wire starts to spin with the cap, insert the connector into the lid and turn clockwise. The usage of clamp connect connections is an additional choice. Insert the wire ends stripped into the terminal, depress the lever, and shut the enclosure to use these.

 

Step 4: You can test your system after making connections. After turning on your transformer, go around your property to ensure all fixtures are illuminated. If one is down, your plan might be experiencing connectivity issues.

 

Step 5: If all of your fixtures are working correctly, you can start the installation's adjustment stage. Before making any adjustments, wait until nightfall to examine the lighting effects produced by each fixture. 

Once more, inspect your property to ensure each light is pointed at the desired landscape element. Additionally, it would help if you watched for glare from your fixtures.

 

3 Ways You Can Use Landscape Lightning To Showcase Your Home's Exterior Design

 

1. Add visual interest by using wall lighting.

An architectural outdoor lighting design typically includes illumination on the house's exterior walls. As a result, even siding, stone, and brick can adopt a distinctive appearance in the evening, giving your home a cozy warmth.

A professional in lighting design will decide precisely where and how many lights are required to achieve the desired appearance. With lighting, "less is more," as previously stated. You want to do just what is necessary; you only need the proper quantity of lights to create the desired visual impression.

Wash lights, a terrific method to highlight the walls and give your home more depth, are frequently used in wall lighting. Wash lights are an excellent substitute for spotlights since they cast gentle light on walls.

 

2. Light-up arches, a corbel, a cornice, and other special features of your home

Does your house have any distinctive or beautiful architectural features?

There may be a feature that genuinely jumps out during the day, such as an archway, a corbel or cornice, trim work, pillars, or some other architectural element. You should consider any of these features when designing your architectural outdoor lighting if your home has any of them.

When illuminated at night, these characteristics take on an even more distinctive and appealing appearance. They can produce stunning shadows and aesthetic appeal, making your home stand out at night.

We can utilize bullet lights to focus on particular elements you want to draw attention to. Even a statue or possibly an urn that constantly has fresh seasonal flowers in it would fit this description.

 

3. Ensure that your porch or front entrance is welcoming and well-lit.

You should pay particular attention to your front porch or entrance area while lighting the exterior of your home at night. In addition, your front yard's focal point needs to be adequately illuminated.

When you return from work or an evening out with your family, it will be welcoming and appealing, thanks to the proper illumination. A dark home is not appealing when you return there. A well-lit front porch, however, tells a different tale.

Many front porches feature columns or pillars that can be artfully illuminated as part of an outdoor lighting architectural scheme. Make sure your lighting specialist approaches their lighting strategy thoughtfully and artistically, just as you would with other decisions.

We can assist if you're seeking suggestions for architectural lighting for the front of your home. These are a few potential concepts Palmetto Outdoor Lighting might use. Get in touch with us for further details!

 

Palmetto Outdoor Lighting

15720 Brixham Hill Ave suite 300, Charlotte, NC 28277

(704) 387-3282