With summer just around the corner, homeowners are getting ready to start entertaining family and friends in their gardens and outdoor spaces. A sure way to impress your guests and really elevate the space is to add outdoor lighting.
A good place to start is to consider what you want to achieve with your lighting. Is it to add practical task lighting where needed? Or to create a stylish, decorative outdoor guaranteed to impress? Evaluating these elements before you start designing or purchasing is essential for successful garden design.
Continue reading for all the tips you need to create your dream garden!
Safety First!
Before choosing any products, it is important to be sure that they are safe to use outdoors. Outdoor lighting needs to be watertight and able to withstand the changing weather throughout the year. It is also essential that you check the IP ratings of the light fittings. An IP rating refers to a product’s resistance to water and other particles, shown in the form of a number. The first number is the amount of protection a light source has from solid objects, whilst the second refers to its protection level against liquids.
A light fitting that will be exposed to rain and the different elements should typically have a rating of IP44 or above.
Garden Space
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How big is your garden? Less if often more when it comes to garden lighting, and you want to ensure that you don’t overload the space with too many different types.
A simple yet useful tip to solve this is by separating your garden into sections, then picking the right type of lighting for each area. For example, your porch/entrance, pathway, patio, wall/fencing, and planting could all be considered separate zones.
Choosing one lighting type per zone will transform your garden into an inviting, stylish space whilst retaining beautiful elegance and simplicity.
Lifespan
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Of course, homeowners want their lighting to last as long as possible. If this is one of the most important aspects to you, then LED lighting is the best way to go. By comparison, a standard halogen light will typically provide around 2,000 hours of use, whilst an LED can provide up to 20,000 hours!
Motion sensor lights will last even longer, as they only switch on when detecting a presence close by.
Types of Garden Lighting
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In general, to make the most of your garden space it is best to make use of all three of the different types of lighting.
- Ambient Lighting – During the daytime, ambient lighting will of course be provided by the sun and natural light. However, in the evening, use ambient lights to provide general illumination to make your garden warm and welcoming.
- Task Lighting – Provides a more intense, fixed illumination on a specific position so you can perform tasks. Any pathways that are a potential trip hazard, BBQ areas or outdoor dining will benefit from task lighting.
- Accent Lighting – This allows you to highlight any features in your garden to make them stand out. Sculptures, water features, and trees can be accentuated by decorative lighting, which will add the finishing touches to your garden and really give the wow factor!
