It never fails. You take a weekend stroll through your neighborhood, gazing right, and gazing left, and then you come across something that almost makes you stop in your tracks. It is the over illuminated front yard that qualifies to light the way for an airplane in its landing pattern. Here is how homeowners can limit their landscape lighting, yet still give it a dazzling nighttime impact.
When a homeowner decides to replace or add landscape lighting, they first have to make a choice of going with either the tried and true electrical low wattage varieties, or the more environmentally friendly solar powered selections.
So how can you turn what should be a sales-boosting feature to your advantage? As already mentioned, be sure a nighttime picture of your home, garden or landscape beautifully illuminated is included in any sales literature. My recommendation is that it be a professional photograph, but if you are a talented shutterbug, you might be able to get away with your own work.
If your home is being shown while furnished, consider having photos of your home at night, bathed in beautiful light, strategically placed in places where they are likely to be seen. You might include pictures of family gatherings on the mantel or an artistic print on the wall near the front door. Don't be shy about going big, here. I have a huge print of my own lit home hanging in my hallway. It was an accidental soft-focus shot of some out-of-town visitors lounging comfortably and drinking Pina Coladas on my patio. There's lush foliage and it's all painted in tasteful light from my landscape lighting. Guests and visitors always comment on the picture and are delighted to discover the scene reproduced in real life just outside my back door (minus the out-of-towners who had the courtesy to depart after a few days).
Notice The Light Not The Source: You want to provide accent lighting to your yard for safety, security, and to present the best features of your landscape. When possible try to hide the source of your lights unless they have a decorative design to improve your display. You want the attention on the light but not the light fixtures themselves. Solar powered spotlights are a great example as they are smaller and generally installed close to ground level. They can be aimed in various directions allowing for a more intense light to be displayed upward while the fixture itself easily blends into surrounding plants or at the base of a tree or rock.
We finally come to the reason for assessing your needs both at night and during the day. You need to remember that not only does your lighting serve a purpose, but it also becomes an intricate part of your landscaping decor. That is unless you have an incredible knack for camouflaging it from view. Be sure to take that in to account and remember that most of it will be in view. Follow this pre-lighting assessment and you are sure to make the right landscape lighting choices. Happy lighting! - 30228
When a homeowner decides to replace or add landscape lighting, they first have to make a choice of going with either the tried and true electrical low wattage varieties, or the more environmentally friendly solar powered selections.
So how can you turn what should be a sales-boosting feature to your advantage? As already mentioned, be sure a nighttime picture of your home, garden or landscape beautifully illuminated is included in any sales literature. My recommendation is that it be a professional photograph, but if you are a talented shutterbug, you might be able to get away with your own work.
If your home is being shown while furnished, consider having photos of your home at night, bathed in beautiful light, strategically placed in places where they are likely to be seen. You might include pictures of family gatherings on the mantel or an artistic print on the wall near the front door. Don't be shy about going big, here. I have a huge print of my own lit home hanging in my hallway. It was an accidental soft-focus shot of some out-of-town visitors lounging comfortably and drinking Pina Coladas on my patio. There's lush foliage and it's all painted in tasteful light from my landscape lighting. Guests and visitors always comment on the picture and are delighted to discover the scene reproduced in real life just outside my back door (minus the out-of-towners who had the courtesy to depart after a few days).
Notice The Light Not The Source: You want to provide accent lighting to your yard for safety, security, and to present the best features of your landscape. When possible try to hide the source of your lights unless they have a decorative design to improve your display. You want the attention on the light but not the light fixtures themselves. Solar powered spotlights are a great example as they are smaller and generally installed close to ground level. They can be aimed in various directions allowing for a more intense light to be displayed upward while the fixture itself easily blends into surrounding plants or at the base of a tree or rock.
We finally come to the reason for assessing your needs both at night and during the day. You need to remember that not only does your lighting serve a purpose, but it also becomes an intricate part of your landscaping decor. That is unless you have an incredible knack for camouflaging it from view. Be sure to take that in to account and remember that most of it will be in view. Follow this pre-lighting assessment and you are sure to make the right landscape lighting choices. Happy lighting! - 30228
