Installing outdoor lights around the pool and patio can be a do-it-yourself job, but it shouldn’t look like you did it yourself.
Here are a few goof-proof tips for lighting your yard with style and strategy:
- Avoid placing all of your lights in a row, which can give your yard the look of an airport runway.
- Vary the intensity of the lighting. If all of the bulbs are 20 watts, then everything will be lighted up the same. That makes everything a focal point, and nothing a focal point.
- Use lights as a navigational tool. Light up the bottom of steps, points in the yard or patio where there’s a change in direction and around any trip hazards.
- Creating shadows and dark areas in your landscape is just as important as creating light.
- Err on the side of too few lights. Outdoor lighting should be subtle, not harsh, so it creates a mood.
- Pointing ground lights up into trees creates a nice uplighting effect. Placing lights high up into trees to cast light on the limbs creates a moonlighting glow. Caution: Secure those fixtures so monsoon winds don’t blow them down.