Outdoor lights serve as design elements and functional features for your Westford, MA, home. You don’t want to go overboard with too many lights, miss critical spots in your backyard that need lighting, or choose fixtures that don’t reflect your unique taste. To avoid any disappointment when the sun goes down, here’s how you can choose the right outdoor lights for your Massachusetts property with the help of a landscaper:
Light Your Way
If you’re a homeowner who prefers mood lighting or doesn’t necessarily need a light source that’s always on once darkness falls, then motion sensor lighting could be just what you’re looking for. This kind of lighting functions when there’s movement and can pick up even the slightest motion.
Energy-saving is another upside of motion sensor lighting, as this type of lighting is only in use when necessary—to help you find your way when you get near it or to highlight that an intruder (a potential burglar or animal) is near your property.
Related: The Most Innovative and Energy-Efficient Outdoor Lighting Designs for Your Concord, NH, Landscape
Additionally, not only do motion lights provide a great security feature for various landscape areas including the backyard, but they can light the path to points of interest. For example, instead of having constant light that leads to your front door, patio, or an outdoor living space, motion sensor lighting can lead the way, one step at a time, one light at a time.
Downlighting and Uplighting
These two terms are pretty self-explanatory, and when they’re done right by the landscape contractors at Northern Lights, Inc., you can bet you’ll get the lighting features you desire. Both options offer dramatic results, and the techniques can be used strategically across your landscape.
Related: Set the Mood for Your Outdoor Dining with Outdoor Lighting in Concord, NH
Water features like reflecting ponds or fountains benefit from downlighting, as it provides an opportunity for reflection patterns at night. Uplighting also adds to the landscape stage by showcasing the focal points that you want people to see or that you want to admire. As uplighting is implemented to highlight a standout feature—such as the outdoor fireplace, stone sculpture, and so on—it takes visitors’ gaze away from any unsightly or in-progress areas of your backyard. Or, if you’re in love with your landscape as is, uplighting lets you really show off those features that mean the most to you aesthetically, emotionally, or both.
Downlighting also highlights standout features but in a different, softer way. Retaining walls with beautiful texture like that found in natural stone, for example, or an intricately designed seating area or statuesque pillars can be good options for downlighting. They won’t hit visitors in the face with a glare, they will showcase the beauty of your landscape, and are always up to the task of acting as a light source for traversing residents and visitors.
Saving Energy
You have multiple options for saving energy with outdoor lighting. Solar-powered lights, for example, are completely wireless and best placed in areas where they will generate the solar energy required so that they can really shine. Your landscaper can help you to determine the best spots for your solar lighting fixtures. LED light fixtures are another popular option for energy saving. With the ability to last for up to 50,000 hours, while using less electricity and giving off less heat, they are a good bet for your eco-friendly needs.
