Outdoor Lighting Objectives

Landscape Lighting Objectives

The first and most important step when planning an outdoor lighting project is to determine your lighting objectives. What do you want to illuminate? And what are you trying to accomplish? Your answers to these two questions will inform the rest of your decisions as you go through the process of designing and installing landscape lighting.

There are many reasons homeowners choose to install outdoor lighting. While some want to add an extra layer of security, others are more concerned with the aesthetics or the functionality of their outdoor spaces. Consider the following outdoor lighting objectives. We always encourage our clients to select the objectives that appeal to them most and prioritize them in order of importance. This will help as we work with the homeowners to design a landscape lighting system to fit their vision and budget.  

SECURITY LIGHTING

What comes to mind when you think of security lighting? Motion sensors? Blinding floodlights? While these are very common options, you might be surprised to learn that landscape lighting is one of the best security lighting solutions.

Effective security lighting should do two things. First, it should act as a deterrent to trespassers. Second, it should allow you to see if trespassers have entered your property.  Bright motion sensor lights often fail to achieve both. With motion sensors, a trespasser must enter your property before the sensor is activated. Also, a flood light will only illuminate one section of your property. It will turn off once motion is no longer detected and will leave your property dark most of the time.

A home with thoughtfully designed landscape lighting, however, will deter trespassers AND allow you to see if someone has entered your property. And the best part? Security lighting doesn’t have to be unsightly or boring, it can enhance the beauty of your home and property.

ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING

Think about all the decisions that go into designing the exterior of a home. Brick or stone? Stucco or siding? Materials, colors, textures, styles. There are literally hundreds of details that create the final design of your home. Why allow these to go unseen at night?

Architectural lighting is lighting that accentuates the architectural features of a home and usually consists of a combination of strategically placed up lights and/or downlights. Check out these photos – talk about instant nighttime curb appeal!

GENERAL LANDSCAPE LIGHTING

Most people use the term “landscape lighting” as a general term to refer to all outdoor lighting. While this may be common, “Landscape lighting” actually refers to lights that are strategically placed throughout your property to illuminate landscaping and hardscape features.

It is always important to incorporate lighting into your overall landscape design. Landscape lighting will bring your property to life at night as it illuminates features such as flowers, plants, retaining walls, decorative rocks, built-in water features, and ext. It also creates depth and visual interest in areas that would normally be flat and dark.  

NAVIGATIONAL LIGHTING

Navigational lighting is outdoor lighting that facilitates safe navigation throughout your property. The options for navigational lighting are vast and can dramatically affect the aesthetics of your property.

Navigational lighting can be as simple as installing a few path lights along the sidewalk leading to the front entrance of your home. Other situations, where ground lights are not an option, may require more strategic placement of lights in trees or mounted to other structures like trellises and pergolas. We also encourage lighting steps, stairs, and areas surrounding patios or decks that can be hazardous after the sun goes down.

TASK & AMBIENT LIGHTING

Outdoor living spaces are an extension of your home. Take full advantage of these multi-functional spaces at night and enjoy them into the cooler seasons by installing task and ambient lighting. Task lighting will make outdoor activities like grilling and eating easier while ambient lighting will create a welcoming environment for you and your guests to enjoy.

ACCENT LIGHTING

Accent lighting allows you to create focal points with light. Common focal points include trees or larger plants, statues, pergolas, trellises, archways, and water features like fountains and waterfalls. You could even create focal points by lighting fences and stone walls.

Thinking about hiring a professional landscape lighting company?

At Limelight, outdoor lighting is all we do. We offer design, installation, and maintenance services and would love to help you design a system that makes the most of your landscape — day and night. Getting started is simple. Call Limelight Outdoor Lighting at (704) 989-3635 or follow the link below to get a FREE quote for your landscape lighting project.