How to Choose Landscape Lighting for Your Home

Do you ever hear strange noises outside at night and wonder what is happening? Hopefully, you’re not about to live out a situation similar to the horror flick you watched last night – yikes! However, with some functional yet aesthetically pleasing landscape lighting, you could put your fears to rest and look out the window to see the culprit illuminated. 

In addition to quelling your nighttime fears, landscape lighting adds visual interest to your curb appeal, enhances home security, and helps to enjoy your yard after the sun has set. Continue reading for tips on choosing landscape lighting perfect for your Portland, OR home.

See Also: The Benefits of Landscape Lighting

Where to Position Lighting

When thinking about areas that could use illumination at nighttime, think about the various sections of your yard and how they look in the dark. Then, focus on function areas, such as walkways, decks/patios, stairs or steps, and any pool area. These areas are critical to light for the safety of anyone enjoying your outdoor space at night.

Next, consider areas where additional light could be helpful for security purposes. These areas could include doorways, garages, sheds, driveways, or sidewalks. You may want to have these lights on when you are away as part of your home security best practices, and you could connect them to a smart home system.

Lastly, consider areas where light could be aesthetically pleasing. Do you have a bench, fountain, or tree to enhance with lighting? These types of illuminating effects are what make your yard unique and interesting. 

Choosing Fixtures 

After planning where to place lighting around your yard, you should choose the type of fixture you would like to use in each location. There are many great options to choose from, and our team at Eighteen Group would love to discuss recommendations and show you available options.

Inground lighting is excellent for lighting walkways, patios, or decks. With this type of fixture, the light structure is buried or built into the deck to provide lighting from below. In addition, inground lighting is easy for upkeep when mowing or shoveling, as you won’t have to work around them the same as a post light, spotlight, or floodlight.

You may consider spotlights and floodlights to create a dramatic effect around trees, bushes, fountains, or other landscape features. Many people also use spotlights and floodlights to add uplighting and downlighting effects to their homes.

Post lights are a great option if you’re looking for more visual interest along walkways. With various designs available, you can be creative with post lights and stagger them or choose another layout that you enjoy.

Ask The Experts

If you want help choosing lighting fixtures, or designing the perfect landscape lighting layout for your Portland, OR yard, fill out our online form. We can also assist in connecting your outdoor lighting features with a smart home system, such as Control4.