Warmer temperatures here in Vancouver mean it’s time to dust off the patio furniture, because it’s patio season! As the ground softens up, Spring is the perfect time to make changes to your patio; if you wait until mid-summer to start your project, you’ll only have a month or two to truly enjoy your yard. While furniture and accessories may be at the top of every patio project, one item that often gets overlooked in these plans is landscape lighting.
Landscape lighting can be used to set the mood in your outdoor space. We’ve broken down some of our favourite ways to do this.
Create Ambience
Lighting has always been labelled as a mood setter, this is also the case when it comes to outdoor events. In creating ambience, it’s all about the lights. While there are endless options to choose from when designing an outdoor space, depending on which mood you want to set, here are a few key options you may want to keep in mind when you install your landscape lighting:
Relaxation – Accent lighting in shrubs or plants with warm hues of red, orange and yellow will help your mind and body feel relaxed after a long day.
Romantic – Use soft lighting to avoid the creation of harsh shadows or contrasts. Look at bulbs and lamps that offer a red or orange hue.
Fun – When hosting a party or backyard BBQ, utilize bright flood lights or spotlights to illuminate the area. Enlist the help of bright coloured lights with cool hues to help generate more excitement.
Extend Backyard Usage
While the sun sets every night, that doesn’t mean that the backyard fun needs to stop. Illuminating your outdoor space allows you to extend gatherings long past sunset. This offers your guests a chance to remain in a relaxed mood and enjoy the night as they now don’t have to worry about losing daylight.
There are plenty of options available to illuminate your backyard. Depending on the size and structure of your patio, you can look at lanterns, wall lights, firepits and torches. The most popular type of outdoor lighting is string lights. String lights can be secured to overhead trees and roof eaves which makes them adaptable to any patio.
Festive Decoration
Nothing sets the holiday mood like festive decorations. While decorations can be bought and set up throughout your space, lighting is actually one of the most versatile holiday decorations.
For example, on St. Patrick’s Day, before all your party guests arrive, you can change all your lightbulbs to green ones to cast a green hue across your backyard and get the Irish spirits going. The possibilities are endless! Pastels for Easter, Red and White for Canada Day or even a mix of orange and black lights would add a spooky feel for Halloween
Peace of Mind
One benefit of adequate outdoor lighting is that a burglar is less likely to strike a well-lit property.
You can also offer your guests a sense of security with landscape lighting. Lights allow for an outdoor area to be safer for friends, family and children by reducing the possibility of accidents such as tripping over a hose, falling into a pond or running into furniture.
Here are some important features of your backyard to focus on illuminating for safely:
Walkways/Paths – Since the main purpose of a walkway is to navigate, you’ll want this to be well-lit.
Stairs – It’s easy to fall on stairs in the light, which makes stairs in the dark a hazard. Ensure that all sets of stairs are properly lit to prevent family or friends from falling.
Elevated surfaces – We’ve all tripped over a ledge or elevated surface before, highlighting these surfaces with intentional lighting will help to reduce this hazard. These surfaces can include door frames, pavement and any other ledge.
When it comes to landscape lighting and setting the mood, the possibilities are endless – it may even feel overwhelming. Here at AJ’s Electrical we’ve seen it all and can help you decide what’s best suited for your outdoor space and its needs and even install it.
Contact us today and let’s get started on the perfect summer patio!
