How to Choose Outdoor Lighting Location?

When you sit down to chart out your outdoor lighting plan, you may want to consider some or all of the lighting locations we have shared below. As much as possible, you should try to include multiple outdoor locations in your plan. This would give you the best possible result. If budget is a constraint, try to spread it over several locations rather than using all of it for only one or two locations.

Front Entry Lighting

Start with front entry lighting fixture first since it is one fixture with which your guests are likely to interact the most. Not only it is usually the brightest outdoor lighting fixture but it also gives you the best chance to impress your guests. And with entry lighting fixtures available in so many shapes and sizes, you will likely have no difficulty picking ones that fit your budget and compliment your home’s overall look.

Landscape Lighting

When it comes to landscape lighting, homeowners are spoilt for choice. There are pollard lights, well lights, spotlights, and more. You can light up an ornate tree between bushes and add a few spotlights so that the brick exterior wall is stylishly highlighted. The numbers of combinations that can be used for illuminating an outdoor space are endless. Take some time to figure out what will work best for your landscape before you start shopping.

Path or Walkway Lighting

Want to accent the front-side of your house? If so, add lighting to the path or walkway at the front. It can also serve the purpose of providing task lighting. You can install path or walkway lighting in different ways. For example, those having a paver walkway can take out a few pavers and install walkway lights in their place. If you want lights that are easy and simple to install and replace, consider rope lighting. Another option is to recess the path lights. Yet another option for outdoor pathway lights is mushroom-styled lights.  

Post Lighting

Outdoor post lights are still very popular. You can use these exterior lights at the top of a wooden, cement, or brick post. Generally, people choose to the light fixtures when the posts are being constructed. However, if you want, you can mount these outdoor lighting fixtures afterwards as well. But in that case make sure the wires are creatively hidden; otherwise, they may spoil the entire effect.

Step Lighting

Outdoor entry lighting is not all about enhancing the aesthetics of your home. Some outdoor landscape lighting is crucial for safety purposes also. A case in point is step lighting. Generally used along with decking, these lights help accidents or falls while using the stairs. For brick or cement applications, installing them to the side of your steps is a good idea as well. Step lights are typically low-voltage lights and relatively inexpensive. They are also pretty simple to install.