Landscape lighting is a design problem before it is a shopping problem
Landscape lighting lights the yard rather than the building: paths, plantings, trees, steps and the walk up to the front door. Done
https://daltonivqy428.capitaljays.com/posts/architectural-outdoor-lighting-how-buildings-get-lit-properly-what-is-architectural-lighting-here-is-the-difference-architectural-lighting-explained-without-the-jargon well, it looks like the yard is lit and not like a row of lamps. Done badly, you get a line of glowing dots along the path and not much else.
What usually gets lit
Path lighting comes first for most properties, since walking to the door in the dark is the daily problem. A well placed uplight keeps the yard from going flat and black at nine at night. Beds, steps, retaining walls and the drive round it out, and the step lighting is safety more than looks.
Landscape, patio and security lighting are related jobs
Homeowners usually want more than one thing. Patio lighting is what turns a patio into somewhere you sit in the evening. Security lighting handles the parts of the property nobody can see from the street. Accent lighting is the finish work.
Where landscape lighting usually goes wrong
The most common mistake is volume. Even light everywhere kills the contrast that makes it look good. Badly aimed fixtures put light in your guests' eyes instead of on the ground. The third is ignoring how the yard will look in five years, since the bed in front of a fixture fills in.
The commercial side
Businesses light the grounds for other reasons. A restaurant patio needs light people want to sit under. A parking area is a safety question first. A neighborhood entrance is about the first impression of the whole community, which is why entrances get lit carefully.
How they work as one design
The two solve different problems, and most properties want both. Roofline light gives the house a shape after dark, and the yard lighting gives the front of the property depth.A single design keeps the brightness and the color consistent, which is what happens when two companies work the same property in different years. If the budget has to be split, ask which half does more for your property, and the answer is not always the house.Landscape lighting needs a look now and then. Mowers, growing shrubs and seasons nudge fixtures out of position. An annual adjustment keeps the plan looking like the plan.
How to start
A landscape lighting installation is worth planning on site, at night if you can. EverCrest Lighting does landscape lighting installation along with patio, accent, security and permanent roofline lighting for homes and businesses. Working out of Greenville, South Carolina, they cover Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. Consultations are free, and the design gets built around your yard. Call (864) 252-1732 or email
[email protected].