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Even the best-designed landscaping is useless at night unless you light it up with the right type of fixtures. Professional design and installation are always best. But following a few simple, straightforward tips when lighting your yard can dramatically improve the results. Both homeowners and professionals use these tips to produce stunningly attractive outdoor lighting that showcases a wide variety of landscaping. For example, consider using low-voltage outdoor LED lights when you’re planning your lighting project. Their low energy use and long life make them ideal for outdoor lighting. You can also produce a professional and impressive look by designing your lighting in layers. Here are more tips to take your lighting to the next level.

Truly Professional-Looking Yard Lighting

Professional-looking lighting requires using different types of lighting in different areas and at different wattages. Layering your lighting is typically the best way to achieve professional-looking exterior lighting. Combine task lighting with ambient lighting and other unique features such as strip lights, spotlights, and various other unique fixtures. You can create the perfect outdoor space that is both useful and beautiful. Pathway lighting can also add appeal to almost any type of home. Most importantly, properly applied pathway lighting installed along a sidewalk or walkway can reduce the chances of accidents.

Discover Great Ways Of Lighting Your Yard [infographic]

Perfect Pathway Lighting

Always choose path lighting fixtures that produce soft, non-glaring light. The light should be directed downward for a more attractive look and greater functionality. One excellent tip that homeowners should consider is to avoid placing pathway lights in a straight row. Parallel rows of light create an uninteresting and structured look reminiscent of a landing strip. Instead, vary the position of the lights along your path in a staggered, unpredictable fashion. The lights should pull you along the path, not light it up like an airport. Progressive pools of light allow for adequate pathway lighting while adding an attractive, organic look to the area.

Professional Yard Lighting

Getting the most out of any outdoor lighting usually involves low-voltage lights. Some spaces require big, bright bulbs and intense direct beams of light, but that is rare. Low-voltage soft lighting usually produces the best results. Low-voltage lighting is still the way to go even when you want to highlight a particular tree or another feature in your yard. Accentuate the centerpiece of your yard with directed beams of bright light, ideally from at least two directions. That helps avoid high-contrast shadows and creates a stunning focal point. Getting it right can take some practice, so try using bright flashlights to plan out your lights before installing them. Many homeowners choose to work with professional outdoor lighting experts to get the job done right the first time.

Beautifully Attractive Outdoor Lighting

Finally, there are many instances or circumstances where you can even use rope lighting outdoors. For example, you could frame a flowerbed or organic garden with low-cost rope lighting. This type of specialized lighting can be placed around a small feature to create just the right level of illumination. Decks and patios are also ideal candidates for well-planned rope lights, especially when combined with other lighting styles. Providing just the right level of directed lighting and background lighting on a deck can make an evening cookout or other gathering warm, inviting, and relaxing. Contact Night Vision Outdoor Lighting for all of your landscape lighting needs.