Drive along any residential street at night, and you’ll see the light. The prettiest homes, gardens and outdoor living areas are the ones that showcase the power of professional lighting systems. With the right lighting design, a tree in the yard can become a piece of living art, illuminated against a brick, stone or stucco façade. Your front porch, steps, and walkways become instantly safer, even when you aren’t home. Above all, better lighting will transform your outdoor living areas into places where you’ll want to gather, long after the days of summer are gone.
After you’ve been inspired by a DIY show on TV, you may be tempted to pick up the car keys and run out to the home improvement store where you’ve seen aisles of outdoor lighting on your way to buy new furnace filters. Take our advice and step away from the shelf. You’ve spent far too much loving energy in planning, building accessorizing, planting and landscaping your yard only to fall pretty to one of the latest quick fixes. For the most creative wattage, lasting performance and curb appeal, you should turn to an outdoor lighting professional. The pros offer you custom design, the best performing products, and the knowledge to ensure your lighting system will withstand harsh outdoor elements.
Why go pro?
The difference in going with a professional outdoor lighting company lies in the expertise you gain from planning and working through a lighting designer, help in understanding how systems are installed and maintained, the quality of fixtures, and technology the pros know how to use. Without well-trained, professional help, all kinds of variables can undermine your investment in lighting, as well as the overall value of your home.
Let there be light
The reasons to invest in outdoor lighting have continued to shine for centuries. For starters, light brings sudden beauty, adding warmth and appeal after dark and making your home a standout in the neighborhood as guests arrive. It also adds security, preventing possible falls and injuries and discouraging would-be intruders. With the right lighting design, you also gain expanded living space, lengthening the hours you can enjoy the great outdoors around your home.
Artful lighting design
When you begin working with a lighting designer, it’s important to focus on comprehensive coverage of the areas most important to you. For most people, critical areas are the outdoor living spaces as well as the home’s exterior and landscaping. In both places, you’ll want to maximize lighting effect and minimize the visibility of fixtures. A good outdoor lighting designer will work to hide the source of light to make an area shine without the distraction of seeing where the light is coming from.
If you have questions on any aspect of outdoor lighting, please contact your local Outdoor Lighting Perspectives office.