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Our Guide to the Different Types of Landscape Lights

String lights and down lighting over an outdoor living space

Finely tuning your outdoor lighting system can accentuate your decor and complete your property’s aesthetic. It’s one of the more decor-focused parts of how to design an outdoor living space. However, it can be challenging to determine which types of lights will mesh best with your decor style, as multiple different options and styles are available.

This article will help guide your search for the types of outdoor lights you can install on your property. We’ll touch on a few of the pros and cons of each variation, as well as what decor styles they will most easily pair with.

Benefits Of Outdoor Lighting Fixtures

When designing outdoor spaces on your property, it’s essential to consider outdoor lighting systems. Depending on the nature of the area, different types of landscape lighting can provide distinct benefits.

For instance, certain types of lighting fixtures like step lights or path lights can enhance the security of your property by illuminating walking areas with a bright beam of light. This also makes it easier for your family and guests to see where to walk.

However, the benefits of adequate outdoor lighting go beyond safety and functionality. By designing your lighting system to complement your existing decor style, you can create unique and impressive visual styles on your property.

Ultimately, considering your outdoor lighting solutions is essential to creating an enjoyable outdoor space.

Types Of Outdoor Lights

Path lights and uplighting
If you’re planning the landscape lighting design for your property, it’s vital to fully understand the different types of landscape lights you can choose from when planning your lighting system. Read through the following sections to learn about the various categories and get ideas for using them in your yard.

Garden Lighting

Homeowners can set outdoor lights on the ground on their property, providing adequate illumination to nearby plants and paths. While these lights do not provide as much brightness as other types of outdoor lighting systems, they can effectively accentuate specific features of your property. Pairing them with different types of landscape lighting can provide the ideal brightness for your outdoor area.

Path Lighting

Pathway lights in backyard

Path lights are an excellent option if providing safe and adequate landscape lighting is your goal.

When designing an outdoor space on your property, safety should always be a top priority. Safety includes the ability to navigate your property at night safely, so illuminating paths and other walking areas are great places to start when planning your landscape lighting system. This is where path lights come in.

Path lighting provides light to a relatively small area, making them perfect for illuminating paths or driveways. However, these light fixtures are often less aesthetically appealing than alternative options, so pairing them with more decorative fixtures can create your ideal effect.

Flood Lighting

Flood lights for house

Flood lights are another type of landscape lighting essential to the safety of your property. With extremely powerful bulbs, these lights can illuminate significant sections of your property. In addition, many homeowners use these lights with motion detectors to create a sense of safety during the night.

Step Lights

Step lights built into wall next to stairs - Farrell’s Lawn And Garden Center
Climbing steps to get into your home can be hazardous at night, particularly for aging residents or guests. If you’re concerned about navigating the steps on your property at night, installing step lighting is a great way to ensure everyone in the home can safely get up and down, regardless of the time of day. This works in multiple areas of a landscape lighting design, from your front door stairs to deck stairs.

Deck Lights

String lights over deck

If you have a seating area in your yard, deck lighting can be an excellent way to maximize your space usage and draw attention to your existing decor. With proper lighting, you can enjoy your deck at night as well as the during the day.

These lights usually connect to the posts of your deck, providing easy illumination for spending time outdoors. You can also put string lights over your deck if you want to create a fun and beautiful atmosphere.

Well Lights

A well light provides light from below the ground’s surface. They are ideal for highlighting architectural details, your favorite plants, statues, and more. They do offer less light than other options, but they work wonders if you want to create dramatic light.

Since they are set below the ground’s surface, well lights allow you to highlight your home without worrying about damaging them with a mower.

Strategies To Use Landscape Lights For

Once you understand the types of landscape lights you can use to illuminate your property, it’s time to start planning how to best use each of them to enhance your property.

The following sections will go over some effective strategies for improving the appeal of your property with different types of outdoor lights.

Up Lighting

Example of uplighting

An excellent way to accentuate impressive water features or architectural features on your property, up lighting adds a dramatic flair to any outdoor space. You angle the beam of light upward to highlight statues, plants, architectural features, and more.

Spotlights excel in this role, although well lights can also be effective in some circumstances.

Silhouetting

By placing the light source behind the item you want to highlight, you can create an effect that is simultaneously subtle and engaging. Silhouetting works particularly well for manicured plants or simple structures.

You can use many of the different types of landscape lighting fixtures to create this effect.

Shadowing

Another way to highlight a feature of your yard using landscape lighting is to point the light directly at it. While shadowing creates a less subtle effect than silhouetting, it effectively draws attention to impressive elements of your property while also creating a striking shadow behind it. While shadowing won’t mesh with every decor style, it can be stunning when homeowners use it well.

Get Premier Landscape Lighting In Williams County, Ohio

While many homeowners do not consider outdoor lighting as part of their home’s decor, it is an essential element. Lights can enhance your home’s safety and bathe your exterior decor in a pleasing glow.

It’s critical to balance aesthetic and functional priorities when planning your lighting system in Williams County. Then, depending on your needs, our team can recommend the most appropriate lighting technology and outdoor landscape lighting. If you choose Farrell’s Lawn & Garden Center to design the landscape lighting system for your Ohio home, you can expect stunning results every time.

You can design the perfect landscape lighting system with the help of our team. We aim for perfection with each project, intending to earn a positive review from every client every time.

If you’re ready to start your lighting or landscaping project in Ohio, reach out to Farrell’s Lawn & Garden Center through our contact form.