Lighting is one of the most effective ways to create the mood and ambiance you want for your outdoor dining area. Your dining area is like a stage, and the right lighting, installed in the right place, can create drama, intimacy, playfulness, or relaxation. If you want your dining area to be more than a space to sit and eat, if you want your space to host an experience, then consider these outdoor lighting options for your Concord, NH home:
A Covered Outdoor Dining Area
If your dining area is covered by a pergola or other overhead structure, there are many lighting options. An elegant way to light the dining table is with a series of pendant lights. Pendant lights are typically hung by a chain, rod, or cord. With a series of pendant lights, you can choose how many fixtures are lit up at any given time. This allows you to create your desired ambiance. Additionally, pendant lights come in all sizes, styles, and materials. Another, more targeted, way to control lighting is to have dimmers installed. Dimmers allow you to create well-lit spaces, intimate and dimly lit spaces, and any and all combinations of lighting in-between. Lighting can also be installed on the walls or support beams of overhead coverings.
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An Uncovered Dining Area
Although an uncovered dining area does not have as many lighting options as a covered space, there are still effective ways to get the lighting that you want. Torches and pole lighting can be purposefully arranged for elegant, whimsical, or dramatic effects. Plus, torches and pole lighting are portable and can be arranged in different combinations for different effects. Lanterns on the dining table or stand-alone lamps are a great way to create the feeling of intimate space. If you are looking for a light source that is more of a focal point, there is nothing quite like an outdoor fireplace. The heat and ambient glow of fire naturally draws people towards it.
Highlight Colors and Textures
There is perhaps no better way to create ambiance than highlighting nearby colors and textures. Typically, outdoor kitchens and dining rooms are imbued with interesting colors and textures worthy of highlighting. Under-countertop lighting, for example, is functional, beautiful, and a great way to highlight the natural stonework often used in outdoor kitchens. If a wall separates your dining area, wall sconces are a great way to add touches of ambient light and to highlight the textures and colors found in the wall itself.
Lighting Nearby Points of Interest
Lighting up certain features of your landscape can add a new level of warmth and ambiance to the dining experience. A pond, lush plant beds, or stately tree, are all great landscape features worthy of highlighting. Purposefully placed spotlights, and even floodlights, are great ways to create interest and drama in your nighttime landscape. For a subtler highlighting of landscape features, a well light, recessed in the ground, is a less dramatic option. Hardscape lights are another great way to show off the texture and color of structures in the yard. Hardscape lights are small lights installed on or in structures to skim the surface with light. Lastly, path lights add visual interest and a playful element to the landscape. Surrounding your dining area with a combination of these landscape lighting options is a great way to create the ambiance and mood that you want.
Related: Top Outdoor Lighting Ideas to Brighten Up Your Walkway in Lexington, MA
Image courtesy of Unilock.
