Down Lighting

Down lighting is the use of garden spotlights pointing down. This effect projects a pool of light onto the focal object such as a tree fountain. Down lighting can also be used to provide safety lighting for pathways or generally darkened areas of the landscape.

Cross Lighting

Cross lighting refers to placing the garden spotlight to one side of the focal object so that the light shines across the object. The spotlight can be mounted on the ground or attached to a building or tree.

Moonlighting

Using garden spotlights in clusters with lower voltage bulbs and attaching them in the top of a tree in order to produce shadows from the lower limbs and greenery. This produces a delicate, speckled light over a patio, path or driveway entrance.

Mirroring

Mirroring is an especially brilliant use of garden spotlights. Placed in pairs in front of a body of water and aimed at a feature in front such as tress or statues, the light reflects back onto the pool or pond creating a mirror of the object shined on.

Uplighting

Uplighting is the most common use for garden spot lights. It creates a more dramatic effect than other lighting techniques using spotlights. Uplighting reverses the daylight effect and provides a wider coverage of light starting from the bottom and going upwards.

Grazing

Grazing is used to play off a texture of surface of a feature, such as an artistically designed plaster wall. The garden spot lights are positioned at an angle very close to the surface to be grazed the emphasis is created by the strong shadow from the light.

Washing

Washing is a direct opposite effect from grazing. Washing uses garden spotlights to create an even coverage of light to define a particular space or create a backdrop for other scenery such as a fountain or garden statue.

Silhouetting

Silhouetting uses garden spotlights to create outlines of the object in focus by lighting the surface behind it. This is not the same as haloing or backlighting. The light source must be in the background shining through the object to produce the silhouette.

Spread Lighting

Spread lighting uses low level lighting from mounted garden spot lights with canopies attached to provide a circular pool of light to illuminate a pathway, low lying terrace, or plantings. This type of garden spot lighting differs from path lighting in that the light source itself comes from underneath a canopy.

Garden spotlights can be used in a variety of applications to highlight features of the garden or just add a dramatic effect to a previously unnoticed area of the garden.

The abundance of interesting products for patios, decks and gardens is a testament to just how important outdoor living areas have become. According to a survey by the American Institute of Architects on Home Design Trends, there is surge in interest in building outdoor patios, kitchens and decks, and outdoor lighting extends the use of these spaces.

“With every deck I build I now factor in lighting solutions,” says Bob Lehman, owner of Creative Deck Designs in Maryland.

Today’s lighting comes in a variety of forms, including energy efficient illumination sources. “There are so many uses for lighting in an outdoor environment, both from a functional standpoint and a decorative one,” says Jay Savignac, senior vice president for Aurora Deck Lighting, one of the nation’s largest outdoor lighting manufacturers.

Building codes have also been an important driving force, as safety concerns have forced communities to require builders to add lights when outdoor stairs are involved. “Increasing the safety factor is definitely a reason for adding lights, and security has always been important. Today people want lighting that allows them to cook outside at night or entertain in a candle-lit sort of environment. Products on the market today make it possible to do both,” Savignac says.

Aurora’s Web site (www.auroradecklighting.com) showcases a variety of different types of outdoor lighting. The company’s most popular products are lighted post caps, which are designed to integrate into a backyard deck or fence and add both design features and function.

“Our newest products include solar powered lights, like the Polaris, which has a traditional lamp look that is designed to fit on a variety of post sizes. Because it is powered by the sun, the lights are easy to install and no special wiring or electrical knowledge is required,” Savignac says.

Lehman says his clients also are incorporating path lights into their backyard environments. New versions, like the Quasar Pathway Deck Light, mount on the bottom of a porch post, deck post or fence to illuminate stairs or highlight landscaping.

LED lights, like the award-winning Eclipse LED and the Nova LED from Aurora, are growing in popularity as technology has improved their intensity. These lights burn for thousands of hours without requiring a bulb change and are among the most efficient sources available today.

Ron and Nancy Snyder of Rootstown, Ohio, had a new deck added to their home and shopped extensively for outdoor lighting to compliment its design. They decided on simple lights that mounted on the posts on their deck.

“We are extremely pleased with these lights and have received many complements from our guests and friends. We especially like the way the glass defuses the light, and we are amazed at how well the lights weathered our vicious Northeast Ohio winter. They still look perfect in spite of record severe weather,” Ron says.

“We’ve come a long way from the ‘runway lights’ that people would stick in their yards along the sidewalk. Today the quality of the lighting and the options that are available make it possible to completely customize the look of your home and create a fantastic ambiance that lights up the night,” Savignac says.

For more information and outdoor lighting inspiration, visit www.auroradecklighting.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

From the front door to the backyard deck, lighting plays an important role in the beauty, usability and safety of your outdoor living space. Small changes in lighting can have a big impact on your home’s curb appeal and your ability to enjoy outdoor living.

Daniel Auer, a lighting expert with LightingShowplace.com, offers a few tips on how to improve exterior lighting.

Light the Way

“Night-time visitors should feel welcomed with light as soon as their car stops in front of your house,” Auer says. That means driveways and walkways leading to your front door should be well-lit enough to ensure safe footing, yet not so bright that they overpower the main lights above or beside your front door.

At the door, if your home currently has just one lantern next to the door, consider replacing it with matching lanterns. Flanking the door with matched lights will create a warm, even glow while assuring the safety of those who enter. If your home has a porch or overhang, you have even more options: a recessed, chain-hung or ceiling fixture.

Light the Landscape

“When it comes to landscape lighting, many homeowners tend to forget about the back yard,” Auer says. While simple canister lights, directed on key landscape elements like trees or planting beds, can create drama for your home’s façade, don’t overlook the value of more whimsical choices or of lighting your back yard.

More powerful, practical path lighting makes sense for front areas where guests may be walking from car to house. In back yards, consider using more delicate path lights to highlight areas, like water features and seating arrangements. For example, LightingShowplace.com sells path lights shaped like graceful flowers, with a gentle light subtly nestled within the bowed head of the bloom.

Deck it Out

If the kitchen is the heart of the home, a great deck is its crowning glory. Americans are now building and expanding decks more than ever before, as the trend towards great outdoor living spaces continues. Just as you employ lighting to create usability, mood and appeal in your kitchen, the right lighting outdoors can enhance the safety and enjoyment of your deck.

“There are numerous ways to light your deck, from lanterns that sit on the post caps of your deck rails to outdoor lamps that work with your outdoor furniture much as lamps do indoors,” Auer says.

One of the hottest trends in deck lighting plays to a hot trend in deck construction – decorative rails, all the rage right now, require decorative lighting. From strand lighting designed to mimic the twinkling of the stars overhead to sconces shaped like flowers and animals, the options for adding light to deck railings have boomed in the past few years.

You’ll be a Fan

Overhead fans are a great way to add multiple layers of lighting – not to mention comfort – to outdoor spaces like gazebos, screened porches and decks. Any fan that you love indoors can easily be used outdoors with the proper wiring. What’s more, most fans offer dimmer options so you can adjust light levels to match the mood of your gathering.

Fans with blades that evoke the look of leaves or fern fronds are particularly attractive in outdoor settings, helping underscore the natural appeal of the space.

When you’re ready to begin brightening your outdoor spaces, consider an online resource, like LightingShowplace.com, rather than a big box home improvement store. With a few mouse clicks, you can instantly assess what’s in inventory from thousands of choices, and access customer service personnel who are trained to answer questions about the brands and products offered.

Courtesy of ARAcontent