A well-lit landscape makes your home less attractive to criminals, keeps guests safe on walkways, stairs, or elevation changes, and showcases the beauty of your yard.

There are many different lighting techniques to accomplish these goals. Some are more functional than others. Here are a few to get you started.

Curb Appeal

When most people think of exterior lighting Tampa, they picture a pair of decorative wall sconces by their front door or some lights along the walkway. But these are only the tip of the iceberg regarding using this type of lighting to elevate your landscape and enhance your home’s curb appeal.

Using uplighting to showcase the unique architectural engineering design elements of a building or the rich textures of a retaining wall are other great ways to boost a property’s beauty. Illuminating these features at night draws the eye away from other distractions and reveals their visual impact.

In the case of mature trees, you can highlight their shape by directing upward-facing lights at their base to accentuate their unique branch structure and create a dramatic effect. For flat surfaces like privacy fences and garden walls, you can use grazing to illuminate their texture without causing unsightly shadows.

Pathways

Your meticulously manicured landscape, beautiful trees, and creative garden decor deserve to be highlighted day and night. With the proper exterior lighting, you can transform your outdoor spaces into a work of art, mesmerizing guests and making your neighbors green with envy.

Pathway lights illuminate walkways and other features, keeping guests safe and providing a gorgeous accent to your landscape design. Spotlights and floodlights are ideal for highlighting specific features or creating focal points that draw attention to your landscaping. Well-lights are perfect for uplighting trees or other vertical features, showcasing their height and texture. Deck and staircase lights can be recessed into the ground or mounted on top of posts for an elegant finish to your outdoor space.

Professionally installed landscape lighting is one of the most cost-effective ways to increase property value. It increases the usability of in-demand outdoor living spaces and shows potential buyers that you’ve taken good care of your home, deterring crime and boosting security.

Seating Areas

If you have a cozy lounge or a rocking chair in your outdoor space, use lighting to make it an alluring destination after dark. String lights can help you create a warm and inviting atmosphere, especially when combined with flickering candles or the subtle glow of downlighting on trees.

Landscape spotlights are great for highlighting a tree’s unique branches and foliage. They also work well on smaller plants, allowing you to show them off without drowning them in light.

Another option is to place a fixture at the base of your more giant trees to highlight their structure and add drama. You can also try upward-facing fixtures if you’re concerned about base lights posing a tripping hazard. You can quickly achieve the look you want with various exterior lighting options. The options are endless, from task lighting to boost safety to illuminating key features. Talk to a professional about what types of fixtures would work best for your property.

Focal Points

A beautiful yard isn’t complete without a few eye-catching focal points. Exterior lighting can highlight these features and create a dramatic effect at night.

You can highlight trees, planting areas, and architectural details using accent lighting, usually from spotlights positioned on or in the ground and pointed at taller structures such as tree trunks or gazebos. You can also use uplights to give a sculptural quality to the foliage of a specimen tree by positioning them around its base.

Mood lighting is another excellent way to create a welcoming ambiance. This technique is perfect for illuminating pathways, seating areas, and even often-used steps. The best bulbs for this purpose are LED, which produce a warm, natural light that’s better for the environment and lasts longer than traditional halogen bulbs. They consume less energy, are safer for your home, and are more reliable in cold weather.