This complete guide to lighting up outdoor spaces will show you how easy it can be to create a calming and relaxing oasis in your garden.
Outdoor lighting is an essential element of home design that is both practical and aesthetically pleasing. Whether you’re creating a welcoming frontal facade, a functional garden, or a relaxing patio retreat, the right lighting transforms outdoor spaces into safe, beautiful, and inviting areas for family, friends, and visitors.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how to choose and implement outdoor lighting, focusing on decorative fittings, functionality, and creative ideas to elevate your outdoor environment.
Whether you are starting from scratch, or looking to upgrade your existing lights, we have plenty for you to choose from at Universal Lighting.
Lighting Up Outdoor Spaces Enhances Aesthetic Appeal
Exterior lighting adds curb appeal and creates a lasting first impression. Thoughtfully placed lights can highlight architectural details, landscaping, and decorative features, giving your home a distinctive look.
Lighting Boosts Safety and Security
Adequate lighting ensures safe navigation around your property and discourages intruders. Illuminating walkways, driveways, and dark corners not only improves visibility but also provides peace of mind.
Lights Create Long Lasting Usability
Well-lit outdoor areas become functional spaces after sunset. Whether you’re hosting a barbecue, enjoying an evening with loved ones, or relaxing with a book, the right lighting creates a comfortable and inviting atmosphere.
Create A Plan For Your Garden Lights
Outdoor lighting is not just about lighting up spaces, it’s also about creativity and amplifying your garden’s beauty, thereby adding to its functionality. With the right lighting in place, you have the potential to transform your outdoor space into a dazzling, comfortable retreat.
Here we delve into the differences and advantages of ambient, task and accent lighting which all play a pivotal role in providing a practical yet captivating area to enjoy. Here are three key types of lighting to consider:
Ambient or General lighting
This type of low brightness lighting will provide the correct light level to illuminate your space, creating a safe environment to navigate during darkness. A gentle light emitting warmth and adding to the feeling of security is a vital first step to building the ambience of your garden. Wall mounted outdoor lighting can flood your garden or patio with light to achieve the calming atmosphere you need when you kick off your shoes and sit back on those relaxing outdoor evenings.
Ideal lighting for:
- Patios, overall garden illumination and exterior porches
Good examples include:
- Wall-mounted lanterns, LED floodlights, and outdoor pendant lights.
Task & Focussed lighting
Task lighting is simply brighter directed lighting that can be used during outdoor activities such as reading, when cooking with your BBQ, or just to provide safe passage along your walkways. For example, wall mounted bulkhead lights can provide more intense light in the immediate area, whilst garden spike lights and bollard lights can provide localised lighting along your garden paths.
Ideal for lighting:
- BBQ areas, outdoor kitchens, walkways, and stairs
Good examples include:
- Bollard lights, garden spike lights, and step lights
Accent Lighting
Exactly lighting is used to accentuate features and highlight certain areas within your outdoor space. Specific architectural points of your house or features of your garden, including magnificent trees or interesting water features, can draw attention and create focal points, adding layers and depth to your garden. Using carefully positioned LED floodlights or outdoor spotlights for example can accentuate these features, enhance the aesthetic and add a wonderful finishing touch to your home.
Ideal lighting for:
- Showcasing trees, water features, sculptures and architectural details
Good examples include:
- Spotlights, spike lights and directional floodlights
Understanding IP Ratings for Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lighting fixtures are exposed to the elements, so it’s essential to choose fittings with the appropriate Ingress Protection (IP) rating. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- IP23: Suitable for sheltered areas like covered porches
- IP44: Protects against splashes; ideal for patios
- IP65: Withstands low-pressure water jets; perfect for garden lighting
- IP66: Resists high-pressure water jets; great for areas cleaned with pressure washers
- IP68: Designed for continuous submersion in water; ideal for ponds and water features
What to Look For In Your Garden Lighting Scheme
Whether you own a small lawn or bordered driveway or an expansive meadow, there’s no better feeling than coming home to an illuminated garden or venturing into the night air and being greeted to the safety and security of swathes of LED lights.
Spike lights and garden spotlights can give a stunning effect when planted amongst your shrubbery or shining up a grand tree, showing off the branches and foliage with subtle illumination using natural shadows and LED light. Ground lights planted around the periphery of your garden will emit a gentle up light shining up your border walls or fences whilst, if you have a large enough space, garden lamp posts wouldn’t look out of place in any garden setting.
Driveway Lights
Installing lights at spacious intervals along your entrance driveway can provide welcome assistance when arriving home after dark in your car. You don’t have to have bog-standard bollards or drive over lights adorning your driveway, whereas they do a functional job guiding visitors along pathways and highlighting walkways, you can also select something more ornate like post mounted lanterns which can be at bollard height to line the area. Some of our bollards are a work of art in themselves and are sure to be a talking point amongst your neighbours. If you plump for drive over lights, our carefully selected range are designed to take the weight of a car and are generally water tight, so can be submersed in standing water after a rainfall with no detriment to their functionality.
- Drive-over lights: Functional and durable for vehicle use
- Post-mounted lanterns: Ornate designs that add elegance and serve as conversation starters
Gate Post & Plinth Lights
There are also many plinth post top lanterns available, the first thing a guest sees when entering your front gates would be these lights, so why not make them a statement piece? Your gate posts can be a perfect base for a pair of grand lanterns. Our selection includes both contemporary and traditional, giving you plenty of options to choose from. They will give a pool of light around the surrounding area, which is both unobtrusive and welcoming.
Hanging Outdoor Porch Lights
Having a hanging porch light outside your front door can create a fantastic focal point to your home’s exterior, adding to the curb appeal of your property. It can add a touch of elegance and charm and make your home inviting and visually appealing to visitors and passers-by. A well-lit porch acts as a deterrent to potential intruders and provides added visibility to your family to help to navigate steps and walkways when arriving home after dark.
Patio Lights
If you have a patio, this is sure to be the area where you are going to sit and relax in the outdoor air or entertain your guests with evening gatherings. As the sun sets, the lighting will take centre stage.
Decking lights which gently illuminate the edge of your patio or decking can bring the area to life. Brick lights fixed into your garden walls show off the garden space while making it a safe space for children to play after dark. Step lights bring safety to your outdoor stairs. Wall mounted traditional lanterns or modern LED wall lights look great during the day and come to life at night shining their light over your outdoor space creating an inviting and magical atmosphere.
Patios are often the heart of outdoor living. Use:
- Decking lights: To outline the edges
- Brick lights: To illuminate walls and standing areas
- Wall-mounted lanterns: To enhance ambiance and provide general lighting
Yards and Balconies
City living does have its drawbacks, and restricted outdoor space is one, but making the most of your yard or balcony allows you to rest, refresh and relax and once it’s been furnished with your comfy chair, it’s time to switch on the lights and enjoy a good book with your favourite beverage. Wall mounted outdoor lights can make your space alive with light. IP rated soffit recessed lights can bring an unobtrusive yet contemporary look. Modern bulkhead or outdoor wall lights will bring a touch of class to the outside and will ensure that this area becomes one of your favourite places in your home.
Lighting for Period Homes
Not for the faint-hearted, our collection of period lighting will bring grandeur and a timeless vintage look to complement your home. Usually handmade by the most skilled craftsmen in the UK with a dedicated eye for detail and quality, these items are often a work of art in themselves.
If you are looking to recreate the appearance of days gone by with classic stylish lighting which graced the most fabulous family homes over the years, we have something to suit. These wonderful handcrafted reproduction outdoor lights take many hours of skilled workmanship to make. Each piece is a unique original in its own right and worthy of pride of place in any traditional period property. With many finishes available, from copper to aged brass and nickel, they can often be tailored to your requirements with bespoke chain lengths for example, there is sure here to be a light to bring your period home to life.
Garden Lighting and Security
Personal safety and light have been linked ever since humans mastered the use of fire. Would you feel safer outside at night in a well-lit area or a dark alley? The same principle applies to security lighting which are essentially lighting systems designed to deter or detect intruders.
More light can often lead to lower crime rates. If an area is sufficiently illuminated then it stands to reason that crime levels drop. Similarly, in the outside area around your home, having a good security lighting set-up can deter theft and vandalism. The safety and security of your home is boosted by adequate lighting and the elimination of shadows and dark spots reduce the opportunity for would be criminals to target your property.
By utilising sensors on directional LED floodlights mounted at an optimum height of around 8-10 feet you can have added security to your garden or driveway. Whilst the light is a deterrent, it can also act as a welcome light when you arrive at your front door.
Top Tips
- Match the style by selecting fixtures that complement your home’s architecture
- Prioritise quality and always invest in durable, weather-resistant fittings
- Be energy efficient by opting for LED lights and bulbs to save energy and reduce maintenance costs
- Layer your design to combine ambient, task, and accent lighting to achieve a balanced look
- Use timers and sensors wisely to automate your lighting for convenience and energy savings
Conclusion
A well-designed outdoor lighting scheme can transform your home’s exterior providing safety, beauty and functionality. You’ll benefit from a stunning outdoor space that you can enjoy night or day and create that perfect welcoming atmosphere.
For expert advice on lighting up outdoor spaces and a wide selection of high-quality outdoor lighting fixtures, feel free to reach out to our knowledgeable customer care team. Let us help you light up your outdoor space and make your vision a reality.
Contact us at 0151 650 2138 or via our online contact form. – we’re here to guide you every step of the way.