15 Apr

Landscape Lighting Planning for Beauty and Security

If you are looking to enhance the beauty and security of your home’s outdoor spaces, adding landscape lighting can be a great way to achieve your goals. However, once you start looking into all the options out there, you may quickly become overwhelmed. Don’t let frustration with landscape lighting discourage you from having the property of your dreams! In this post, we’ll give you some tips to help you plan your outdoor lighting project. 

If you’re in Tampa Bay, you don’t have to face planning a landscape lighting project alone. Just contact Decorating Elves at 727-474-2628 to schedule an estimate for your landscape lighting project.

1. Evaluate Your Outdoor Spaces

Start by evaluating your outdoor spaces to determine which areas you want to highlight with lighting. Consider your home’s architecture, trees, bushes, flowers, water features, and hardscaping. Think about how you use your outdoor spaces and which areas would benefit from additional lighting. As you begin to develop ideas, be sure to jot them down in a notebook or use the notes app on your phone.

2. Decide on Your Lighting Goals

Think about what you want to achieve with your outdoor lighting. Do you want to highlight specific features, improve security, or create a certain ambiance? Do you need landscape lighting that can change in color and intensity when needed? By determining your lighting goals upfront, you can make more informed decisions about the type and placement of your lights.

3. Choose the Right Lighting Fixtures

There are many different types of lighting fixtures available for outdoor use. Some popular options include path lights, spotlights, floodlights, deck lights, and step lights. Consider the purpose of each fixture and choose the combination that best meets your needs.

4. Consider Your Wiring Options

Depending on the scope of your project, you may need to consider your wiring options. If you are only installing a few lights, you may be able to use solar-powered fixtures or low-voltage systems. However, if you are planning a larger project, you may need to run electrical wiring to your outdoor spaces.

5. Plan for Energy Efficiency

Outdoor lighting can be a significant source of energy consumption. To reduce your energy costs, consider using LED landscape lighting fixtures, which are more energy-efficient than traditional bulbs. You can also install timers or motion sensors to control when your lights are on.

6. Think About Maintenance

Outdoor lighting fixtures require regular maintenance to ensure they are working properly. When planning your project, consider the level of maintenance required for each fixture and how easy it will be to access them for maintenance purposes.

7. Hire a Professional Lighting Designer

Finally, if you want to ensure your outdoor lighting project is a success, consider hiring a professional lighting designer, like Decorating Elves in Tampa Bay. We can help you choose the right fixtures, plan your wiring, and create a lighting design that meets your goals for beauty and security. We also offer stress-free maintenance plans to keep your landscape lighting system functioning at peak performance.