The best thing about a house at night is the soft glow that emanates from within, beckoning you into its coziness. However, just thinking up some exciting outdoor lighting ideas that can make your house light up like a gem, all the way from inside out!
Every home should appear welcoming to its visitors and your outdoor lights play a huge role to reach that objective. Just a few lights on the patio and garden should be able to stir things up, but what if you can add some of these lights to the trees as well? It is sure to make your front yard appear more inviting. You don’t have to burn serious cash in lighting up your front door. You can pick up some inexpensive solar light options from your nearest hardware store or invest in some expensive installations, depending upon your budget of course. It doesn’t matter how much you spend, just a little bit can go a long way in dispelling the dark.
Here are some lighting options at night, lit both inside and outside in different degrees of brightness. From gleaming fountains to delicate patio lights, shining trees to dimly lit pools, there are a lot of options to add a little glow to your home at night.
Tweak the light
[Wheeler Kearns Architects]
You don’t need expensive lights to create a statement. Sometimes subtle lighting can also do the job of making space stand out in its own elusive ways. In this image, the soft light glows out of wall slats that give just enough light to softly illuminate the patio and make the place look romantic and cozy.
[McKay Landscape Lighting]
You don’t have to go over the top in lighting up your front door. Sometimes soft lights can do the trick too. Just add a few spotlights and give your blank wall a certain kind of dimension as the strip lights highlight the linear architecture of the area.
[Possidento Lightscapes LLC]
It doesn’t matter what you are lighting up, a handmade sculpture or nature’s giving pathways in your garden or plants from the inside. Lights in any form can transform your landscape in unspeakable ways.
Lighting the Pathways
[FORMA Design]
When you have steps or walkways that cut the path through your garden, it becomes necessary to provide lighting at night. Without light, they can be risky, but with the light, they are not only visible but also give a design feature to your landscape.
[Noel Cross+Architects]
You can start with fewer lights at the entrance, and as the visitors near the front door, intensify the brightness to make your home appear more appealing. The best way to welcome your evening guests is a warmly lit porch light that beckons.
Lighting the Front Door
[Carson Poetzl, Inc.]
You can also make a safe entrance to your home by illuminating the path all the way to the front door. This is more for functional reasons than aesthetic value of an outdoor lighting. The last thing you want is your visitors tripping on the way in due to darkness. It is a safety priority to provide adequate light at the front door and along the path.
[Kristi Spouse Interiors]
When you consider lighting your exteriors, your front door is the first place you should start with. Just a simple sconce light should be enough to show the way to our guests, in and out of the house. You can also light up the posts to throw a warm glow on the path, which makes the house appear more inviting.
Lighting the trees
[Viewpoint Lighting]
The best way to add drama to your garden is by adding light to your tree, especially if the tree has a noticeable structure of its own. The branches will look a totally different sight when they are lit from below and within.
[Modern Exterior]
You can also strategically place the uplights underneath the trees and bushes to create a shadow like appearance at night. Before you get home some cool lights, you can experiment with a flashlight to see the effect it has on your walls. This is the best way to test the impact of uplight in your garden and the play of shadows.
[McKay Landscape Lighting]
You can also place the uplight in such a way that it puts an entire focus on the tree rather than its shadow. Some more lights under the bench in this image make the area functional at night rather than becoming inconspicuous in darkness.
Create an Art with Outdoor Light
[kevin akey – azd associates – Michigan]
If you have a sculptural piece in your front yard, then in the absence of light, they can become invisible in the night. You can light your house exterior right behind the sculpture that will softly illuminate the piece of art and also give depth to this artwork.
Illuminate the waters
[D-CRAIN Design and Construction]
The best way to use outdoor lighting to your visual advantage is by adding one to the pool. The shadows it casts in the water are purely magical.
[Exteriors by Chad Robert]
When lights are added to a water body, such as a pool, they gain extra drama and make the place appear more intense.
[McKay Landscape Lighting]
You can also light up the garden fountains that glisten in the night as light and water complement each other with their own play of lights. Together they can create a delightful impact on your artistic appeal.
Outdoor lighting is necessary not just for visual appeal, but also for safety reasons. However, you don’t have to add a run-of-the-mill bulb to do that job for you. Use these tips coupled with your creative sense to bring out the best from your landscape.
