Jun 05 2009
Garden Wall Lights
First impressions are lasting impressions. When people visit your home for the first time, especially in the evening hours, their first impression is not going to be the pristine foyer with mahogany floors; it is going to be your lawn and outdoor area of your home. Garden wall lights add ambience and show that as much thought went into planning your outdoor area as did planning your interior design.
Outdoor wall light on your porch walls accompanied by post lighting for your drive creates a welcoming entrance to lead your guests from the street to your front door. Using timers, photocells, or traditional switches you can have your pathways lit up at dusk.
Adding garden wall lights is a study in both form and function. At the same time you are designing and planning your artistic masterpiece for your lawn you are also adding a security feature to your home. Burglars tend to shy away from lit up yards.
Garden wall lights come in a wide range of styles and materials. You can choose from the very plain to the most intricate of designs. Materials range from the tried and true bronze to cast iron and pretty much any other material that can withstand the weather and heat from the bulbs.
Lighting types vary from wall sconces, post lighting, and lately even chandeliers. Wall sconces are most often found on porch walls, garage walls, or gazebos. One popular trend in wall sconces are natural gas powered sconces whose light comes from flame, reminiscent of the days of old. These are often designed in the style of old hanging lanterns.
Chandeliers are becoming popular choices for gazebos and patios. Chandeliers that are designed for outdoor use occasionally come with ceiling fans mounted to add a breeze to the porch.
Fixture designs can be found in styles from ultra modern and art deco to old world traditional and gothic style. Using the style and theme of your garden and home your garden wall lights will become a part of your overall house design.
Garden wall lights can be equipped with several user options such as dimmers, motion detectors or photocells. Photocells are particularly popular due to eliminating the need for turning the lights on and off. The lights come on at dark and turn themselves off during the daylight.
Homeowners can add spice and variety to their garden wall lights with their choice of bulbs. There are energy efficient bulbs, fluorescent bulbs and colored bulbs. Using LED lights that are available in a variety of colors homeowners can complement the garden area, pool area or more with the garden wall lights.
Lawns that require retaining walls have a unique opportunity to use garden wall lights to add focus to the area or bring an air of mystic to the garden. Recessed lighting built into the retaining well is a particularly pleasant lighting arrangement.
Planning your lighting design is a creative process that has many possibilities. Garden wall lights are not just for porches. They can be used for porch walls, garage walls, retaining walls, gazebos and more. From sconces to chandeliers the choices are vast. Use your creativity to enhance your lawn and garden and show off your personality.
-Sharon V Chapman