Just as lighting is an important element of making your Westford, MA, home’s living room seem warm and comforting, it also plays a vital role in transforming your patio into a functional and safe outdoor living space. It can help set the mood for your evenings, helping to create a relaxing and welcoming ambiance. Moreover, a properly lit patio can also deter intruders and keep your home safe.
LED Downlighting
The most important outdoor lighting for your patio depends on the type of atmosphere you want to create. In general, you’ll want subtle lighting to create a soft ambiance where you can relax with friends and family. Recessed downlights are a great way to achieve this, providing you with controlled lighting that is easily installed over your patio by a professional. Downlights can also be placed in the ledges over retaining walls and seating walls, providing a warm glow without dazzling the occupants. Ideally, you want LED lights with dimmer controls to give your lighting plan some versatility and a wider range of control. LED technology also has the added benefit of unmatched longevity and low power consumption.
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Wall-mounted lighting and Spotlights
For those who don’t have a patio cover or structure in which to install overhead fixtures, you can just as easily mount lights on nearby walls and pillars. There is a huge variety of wall-mounted fixtures and scones, making it easy to find one that suits your patio’s design. For more modern patios, you can go with sleek, understated fixtures, whereas for more natural landscapes, you can go the alternate route of more opulent fixtures that add to your design. Spotlights can also be a great addition to your lighting plan if wall-mounted lights are your preferred solution. They are especially useful for larger gatherings and parties, and can also be mounted from trees, lighting up your patio through the leaves and branches and giving it a natural moonlight effect. Spotlights can also be coupled with motion sensors to keep your patio well lit when it is unoccupied. This is especially important around entrance points to your home, such as windows and doors, which should be further complemented with wall lights to keep them well lit.
Walkway lighting
Lighting the paths around your patio is also an important part of setting the mood. Small, subtle path lights generally work well, lighting up the path and the surroundings without being too assertive. Larger, streetlight style lamp posts can also accomplish this task and work wonderfully in more natural landscape designs. Walkway lighting also plays an important role in lighting up the darker areas of your yard, with fewer dark places for intruders to hide.
Uplighting
Some areas of your patio might deserve special attention in the form of uplights to make them more prominent. Uplights are installed in the ground, shining upwards to light up specific areas. These can draw attention to special features, such as statues and fountains in or around your patio. Smaller uplights can also be installed around fire pits and fireplaces to complement the warm glow in a more understated manner. They can also be installed under trees around your patio to help make them more distinct, enhancing the vertical dimension of your landscape design, which can be a challenge at night.
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