I know, at one point or another, each of us has rode through a neighborhood under the dusky glow of early evening and noticed the outdoor lighting of the residents within that neighborhood. Some of the outdoor lighting you see is well done and makes you say “ahhh” and others, with all good intentions aside, are poorly executed. Even a seasoned and experienced outdoor lighting professional such as myself, notices the good, the bad and the ugly within the realm of outdoor lighting. For that very reason Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of St. Louis has put together a list of the most important elements of good outdoor lighting. When you engage in the experience and knowledge of having an outdoor lighting professional design and install your lighting, they go over these areas with you, but before you sit down and get down to the nitty-gritty, it is still wise to become familiar with the important elements of good outdoor lighting to ensure you leave no stone uncovered before you begin.
The 5 most important elements of good outdoor lighting
#1) Top to bottom – From an architectural aspect this is a crucial element. In good outdoor lighting, much like with a designer or architect you want to accentuate your homes dimensions, and especially it’s height. Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of St. Louis uses well lights to achieve coverage of your home from bottom to top. In some cases, as with eaves or overhangs that can obstruct the direction of light, we will use additional lights to ensure a clean flow of light when illuminating your homes facade and architecture. When working top to bottom, you must never direct a flow of light into a window.
#3) Around the corner – This is of the utmost essence when a great deal of your home can be seen from a corner lot, or if your home does not sit squarely on your lot. This element is a staple when your homes design and lot shape lend to seeing a great deal of the sides of your home. In this case, you will want to illuminate the side facade that is also open to the street.
5) The path to the door – This is what I refer to as a “no brainer”, but many professional outdoor lighting applications leave this area too dark or use too many fixtures resulting in the front sidewalk and entrance resembling an airport runway at night. Keep in mind, that your front entry is the area of your home that will make the best first impression on your guests. You want path lights that illuminate an area of 8-10 feet per light to ensure safe travel and deliver the desired effect as well. All aspects of your home and landscape can be properly illuminated by applying these five simple elements. As with any proper outdoor lighting application, you want to focus on the effect and not the fixture. We did a very popular story which focuses on the things to consider when doing landscape lighting last summer that is a very informative piece and can be used in conjunction when illuminating your landscape and areas within the immediate area of your home:
http://st-louis-outdoor-lighting.com/2010/07/02/things-to-consider-when-doing-landscape-lighting/
Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of St. Louis is the areas premier professional outdoor lighting company. When we design and install your outdoor lighting, whether it is architectural and facade lighting or landscape lighting or pool lighting, we leave no stone unturned to accentuate all the positives your home and landscape has to illuminate. Learn more by contacting us to set up a night-time demonstration and how glorious your residence will be when all these elements are properly applied. Call (636) 561 – 1818 or email us at JimSchwartz@OutdoorLights.com
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