We give you our advice for adapt the lighting of your paths, stairs, terraces, ponds or your garden to create a soft and pleasant atmosphere for your evenings. Available in different formats, halogen lamps, solar lights, wall spotlights, light furniturethe possibilities are endless to enhance and intelligently illuminate your exterior.
What are the main reasons to opt for outdoor lighting?
1. Highlight your facade
A beautiful house plunged into darkness as soon as the sun sets, it’s a shame. Thanks to the different exterior lighting solutions, spots, projectors placed on the ground or wall lights, you can highlight your property. The choice of light fixture depends on the style of the house and its environment. You can opt for different styles of wall lights depending on the desired effect. Suspended wall lights better illuminate less accessible places.
To light an empty wall, without a window or balcony, choose supported wall lights instead. To give character to your facade, you can install projectors or spots on the ground. By creating light beams, your house will gain height. Still think about the functional aspect of the thing. You can place a spotlight or lamp above the door entrance so you can see better when looking for your keys.
2. Install safe lighting (pool, stairs)
Outdoor lighting also has a utilitarian function. It allowsavoid accidents, especially on steps, to light a path or even the edges of a swimming pool or a natural pond so as not to fall into it. You can opt for the backlight, that is to say lighting integrated behind a screen, and installed directly in the element to be illuminated, for example steps. But for that, you have to think about it in advance. Otherwise, you can always have one or more lampposts to guide the path.
3. Light a path with elegance
This type of lighting often makes all the difference. Most of the gardens have a small path or path. It is always useful to light it so as not to walk in the dirt. But here, lighting can also be decorative and create a pleasant atmosphere. Rather than opting for spots with powerful brightness, choose subtlety instead. Light sparingly with low-intensity lights to create a bright pathway. You have several options:
- THE spotlights if they are at low intensity.
- THE LEDs embedded or placed on the ground.
- THE electric lighting terminals : they are connected to the sector and the wires must be hidden, either under vegetation or using protection.
- Spots imitation rock powered by solar energy.
4. Highlight the vegetation in your garden
Outdoor ambient lighting also serves to highlight plants, trees and shrubs. During your evenings, your garden will be enhanced by creating real light sculptures. You can play on romance by hanging of the lamps hanging from branches.
They can be of different shapes and colors to create a magical atmosphere. You can also underline their greatness with ground spotlights projecting upwards. This is also suitable for shrubs and other plant plantings. THE spotlights, also placed on the ground, are a solution. They send back a more powerful light. You can also plant light spots in your planters.
Finally, the light posts or bollards can also elegantly complement your garden lighting. Always take safety into account when installing your outdoor lamps and lighting. Exposed to bad weather, they must be able to withstand it. The electrical installation must be well designed to avoid accidents. It is therefore preferable to call on a professional for the installation of outdoor ambient lighting.
5. Friendliness and warmth for your outdoor evenings
Above all, ambient lighting will allow you to create a friendly and comfortable atmosphere when you dine or spend your evenings outside. The long summer evenings will be even more pleasant! If you have an outdoor table, you need to think about what you can see on your plate during dinner, but too much lighting could ruin the ambiance.
For these kinds of convivial moments, you should favor soft, subdued lights, with perhaps a few brighter spots if needed. To create a beautiful atmosphere on the terrace or in the garden, you can put wall lights on the facade of the house or hang lanterns on the trees.
For an even more festive atmosphere, opt for the light garlands or even bright furniture which are very trendy and will add a touch of originality. Spotlights integrated into the ground will also be welcome on the terrace. You can also integrate lamps and spotlights into the barrier or wall surrounding the garden or terrace. If you have a shelter or outdoor living room, consider lighting it sufficiently.
Absolutely avoid any kind of cold lighting. If you are having a grill or barbecue evening, a little more pronounced lighting will be necessary for the cook. Bollards or posts can achieve this, and at the same time remain very stylish. In short, there is no shortage of solutions to create a warm atmosphere in your outdoor spaces.
6. Enhance a water point
It is also possible to light a swimming pool, a fountain, a natural pond with or without water jets. Artificial swimming pools often have night lighting for safety reasons. To highlight your water points, the ideal is to integrate interior lighting, rather than projecting light onto the water. This will give a light show effect. Obviously, the operation is a little more complex than it seems.
For water jets and waterfalls, you can install LEDS directly in the pipes. There are specific, waterproof models designed for this use. You can also hide spotlights or torches between plants to illuminate the edges of a small pond or natural basin.
7. Adapt lighting to your lifestyle
Exterior lighting must be both beautiful and functional. It must adapt to the different activities that will take place in the garden or terrace. If you have a seating area in your garden or patio, you must provide lighting for reading. If your terrace has a kitchen, it must be sufficiently lit from above. You can also opt for portable and mobile lighting which will adapt more easily to changes in atmosphere.
If you want to create a more relaxed atmosphere, you can put designer or accent lamps to place on a coffee table, for example. If the dining table is located under a shelter or a tree, it will be even easier to light it, thanks to a ceiling light or a lamp. Lanterns and garlands will again be welcome to create a warm and poetic atmosphere.