With the simple addition of some artful lighting throughout the landscape, your customer’s backyard can go from the venue for an afternoon barbeque to the serenely lit hang out place for an after-hours party.
Adding in a few artful light displays can create a completely different environment for your customers and their guests, and it can also act as a more aesthetically pleasing way of beckoning visitors to explore and wander.
Take a look at a few ideas you can use the next time your customers decide they want to add a little something extra to their backyard lighting.
Tree and arbor lighting
When it comes to adding in lights around a landscape, any terrain is fair game; this includes trees.
Talk to your customers about the possibility of using lanterns of varying sizes and shapes to create their own majestic lighting experience. When a mature tree is filled with glowing lanterns, the tree not only provides much needed light, but it also serves as a beautiful and unique focal point.
If your customers have hammocks or chairs stationed under said trees, adding in the lanterns above them can also serve as a soothing resting spot for winding down at the end of the day.
Take note that when hanging lanterns and lights in trees, electricians must be hired and consulted for the installation. But for customers who want to cut out the middle man and side step unsightly wires, solar lights are an excellent alternative.
For customers with arbors that are scarce of overhead plants, interspersing lights atop the structure can provide low, moody lighting for late night chats.
The soft glow of these overhead lights provides just the right amount of illumination to keep the atmosphere cozy and welcoming.
Water fixture lighting
For customers who may have pools or other small water features in their landscape, take advantage of that unused space by adding in water lights.
Adding in submerged lights will help keep the existing feature in sight even after the sun goes down, and the lights can also act as safety warnings. The soft glow of the underwater light adds to the magical aspect of the atmosphere, and may invite more visitors to frequent it.
When working to highlight a fountain, submerged lights are not the only option. By positioning landscape lighting nearby and directing the light in the correct direction, a fountain can become the center of attention with little effort.
Just keep in mind that less is more. The idea is to go for the soft gleam of a glowing lamp as opposed to a glaring spotlight.
Outdoor chandeliers and candlelight
If your customers enjoy romantic evenings out in nature, talk to them about adding in outdoor chandeliers.
For customers that already have a venue for gatherings, simply adding in one chandelier can add more light and more class to the joint. For this particular endeavor, it would be wise to remember to add in a dimmer switch. This gives customers the freedom to control just how much light their newly installed chandelier gives off.
While they may be simple, old fashioned candles are always a great option when it comes to outdoor lighting.
Candles are flexible, simple and don’t require any wiring. These are the best for casting soft glows at a small seating area or a table. Candleholders and hurricane lanterns can house these little beauties, and they will protect the flame from blowing out.
Pathway lighting
Another way to lead guests into the ambient lighting of a backyard is to line the pathways leading up to it.
Whether the pathway is lined with stones, shrubs, trees or more, there’s a lighting technique ready to fit each of them. For tree-lined paths, consider adding in pathway lights along the base of the trees or other landscape lighting on stakes. This ensures the pathway is illuminated and the light is directed upward to showcase the trees.
For a more subtle glow, try out solar stake lights or softly lit orbs placed in intervals along the path. This compliments paths with stairways, stepping stones or even gravel.
