19 Jun

Enhance Your Outdoor Kitchen with Stunning Landscape Lighting

Creating an inviting and functional outdoor kitchen is a popular trend that brings people together to enjoy delicious meals and the beauty of nature. This may be why grills and grilling accessories are some of the most popular Father’s Day gifts! While designing your outdoor kitchen, it’s important not to overlook the impact of landscape lighting. Properly designed and strategically placed lighting can transform your outdoor kitchen into a captivating and functional space that you can enjoy both during the day and well into the night. In this blog, we will explore the importance of landscape lighting for outdoor kitchens and share some creative ideas to illuminate your outdoor culinary haven.

Safety and Functionality

Effective landscape lighting plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and functionality of your outdoor kitchen. Adequate illumination on pathways, steps, and cooking areas minimizes the risk of accidents, allowing you to move around freely and effortlessly. Consider installing task lighting above the grill, sink, and food preparation areas to ensure proper visibility during meal preparations, even after sunset. This way, you can cook with ease while keeping an eye on the food’s progress and ensuring everything is cooked to perfection.

Ambient Lighting for a Welcoming Atmosphere

Landscape lighting sets the mood and creates a warm, inviting ambiance in your outdoor kitchen. Choose lighting fixtures that complement the architectural style and design of your outdoor space. Soft and diffused lighting, such as string lights or lanterns, can create a cozy and intimate atmosphere for evening gatherings. Highlight your kitchen island or dining area with pendant lights or chandeliers to make them the focal points of your outdoor space. After 17 years in the business, Decorating Elves has designed lighting schemes for every look!

Accentuating the Landscape

Landscape lighting not only enhances the functionality of your outdoor kitchen but also allows you to showcase the surrounding landscape. Use well-placed lighting fixtures to illuminate trees, plants, and other natural elements, creating a visually appealing backdrop for your culinary adventures. Uplights can be strategically positioned to highlight beautiful shrubs or create dramatic shadows against walls. Path lights along garden beds or walkways can guide guests to your outdoor kitchen while adding a touch of elegance to the overall ambiance.

Color and Mood Lighting

For a unique and creative touch, consider incorporating color and mood lighting into your outdoor kitchen landscape design. LED lights are an excellent choice for this purpose, as they are energy-efficient and offer a wide range of color options. Decorating Elves specializes in low voltage LED lighting to save you money on energy consumption. Use color-changing LED strips or bulbs to transform the mood of your outdoor space with a simple adjustment of hues. You can match the lighting to the theme of your event or change it according to your mood, making your outdoor kitchen a versatile and dynamic entertainment area.

Smart Lighting Systems

Take your outdoor kitchen lighting to the next level by incorporating smart lighting systems. These systems allow you to control your lights remotely using your smartphone or voice commands. Adjust brightness levels, change colors, set timers, and create lighting schedules effortlessly. Additionally, some smart lighting systems can be integrated with other outdoor elements, such as music systems or security cameras, further enhancing your backyard experience.

Landscape lighting is an essential aspect of designing an outdoor kitchen that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. From ensuring safety and functionality to creating an inviting atmosphere, lighting can transform your outdoor space into a magical culinary haven. By inviting our expert over to design various lighting techniques and incorporate smart lighting systems, you can personalize your outdoor space and create an ambiance that matches your style and mood. So, illuminate your outdoor kitchen and enjoy delightful meals and unforgettable moments under the stars.

14 Jan

Ideas for Lighting Up Your Deck

Here in central Florida, decks are popular additions to all types of homes. Decks are typically made of wood and raised up off of the ground to prevent flooding and pest issues. Screened decks allow residents to enjoy our beautiful weather all year long without being attacked by flying insects or covered with leaves and tree debris. This makes decks the perfect spot for entertaining, enjoying some quality time with the family, or for a few minutes of solitude. Read More

15 May

How To Use Outdoor Lighting To Make Swimming Fun at Night

You can’t survive the Florida summer season without a backyard pool, but the fun shouldn’t have to end after the sunsets. Use these creative outdoor lighting tips to help make swimming at night exciting and illuminated.

Illuminate Water Features

If you’re lucky enough to have a waterfall, bubbling hot tub, or another focal point along with your pool, use strategic outdoor lighting to emphasize those features. Make them the drawing point of your swimming area. This adds a magical and inviting atmosphere that just doesn’t exist during the day. You can even experiment with colored lighting so that your waterfall shines blue, purple, or any other color you choose. Read More

20 Mar

Why You Should Have Outdoor Lighting This Spring

Have you considered adding outdoor lighting to your home? Spring is a great time to have outdoor lighting installed. Not only will you enjoy the outdoor lighting in the spring, but you will be prepared for a summertime of entertaining. Here are some reasons to have outdoor lighting this spring.

Dispel Wintertime Blues

Springtime is beautiful, with new life showing all around outdoors. After a long gray winter, it is really refreshing to be able to go outside and smell all of those spring smells and see all of those spring colors. Spending time outdoors in the springtime is the best way to combat wintertime blues or seasonal mood swings. When you spend more time outdoors, studies show that you will be literally and measurably happier. Outdoor lighting helps you spend more time outside during these months. Read More

15 Jun

Patio and Deck Lighting Techniques for Entertaining

Summer is here, and with it come barbeques and get togethers of family and friends. When your deck becomes the hot spot of the summer, you want to make sure that you are prepared for constant entertaining. Patio and deck lighting can help keep you and your guests comfortable and safe so that you can enjoy the outdoors long into the night.

Railings and Steps

One of the permanent lighting techniques that we use for patios and decks is unobtrusive lights along deck rails and illuminating steps. This lighting is important for the safety of your family and guests. When you have lighting on the railings and steps it is much less likely that someone could become injured from tripping or stumbling in the dark. This is a must if you are planning on nighttime entertaining. Read More