The summer months are the best to spend time outdoors with friends and family. Whether it’s a pool party, graduation party or barbecue, it’s usually warm enough to spend the entire get-together outdoors; that is if there is some kind of outdoor lighting to keep the party safe after dark. I can’t count how many times I’ve been at an outdoor party and gotten so caught up in conversation and when it’s time to go (or to pick up), I can’t see where I’m stepping.
At Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, we’ve been called to many of our clients’ homes who have had incredible outdoor living spaces installed on their property. Unfortunately, after the build was complete they found out that they really needed lighting to get the most use out of the space. While, it is an easier installation when lighting is planned for while designing an outdoor structure, we are always happy to add lighting to a space to make it safe, secure and usable.
Take this above pictured pool and patio for example. Amy and Dennis Dowling, who design and install landscape lighting on Long Island, were called to this home after the owners had this incredible pool built, surrounding it with a beautiful pavers and landscaping. While gorgeous, this space would be dangerous without sufficient lighting. Someone could trip on the paver squares leading the pool, or even worse, someone could trip and fall in the pool! To make sure that this area is safe for the inevitable insurgents of friends, Amy and Dennis installed patio lighting throughout the entire space within the flower beds.
As you can see, they utilized copper path lights as their primary fixture, but it is a slighting taller path light than the normal one. By using a taller fixture, the spread of light is wider, illuminating more of the surrounding patio and landscaping. If they had used shorter path lights, more lights would be needed. I’m not sure what my favorite part of this project is, but it may be all the colors that can be appreciated with the lighting. The greens, purples and pink are stunning.
This next project showcases a summer staple: the dock. This dock jets off from a deck with pergola and hammock. During the day, the homeowners’ kids love to jump off the dock into the water below while they sit and relax in the shade. At night, however, the space became unusable because it was too dark. You couldn’t see the wet spots of the deck that may be slippery or where the dock ended. Additionally, the pergola that the family loved to entertain under during the day, couldn’t be enjoyed either, until lighting was installed.
Outdoor Lighting Perspectives used both deck lights and down-lights for this install. Deck lights were placed on several of the dock posts to make sure that the entire thing was properly light. The wiring was placed on the underside of the dock so not to be an eyesore.
In the deck area, down lights were installed in the eaves of the pergola, shining down through the beams. The shadows it creates on the surface are lovely and provide an intimate, warm feeling.
Lighting is key to outdoor spaces that are usable at all times. Without it, spaces like these can be unsafe as people try to navigate the structure in darkness. If you have questions on how deck and patio lighting can help enhance your outdoor space, please reach out to your local Outdoor Lighting Perspectives office.