Lighting affects everything. Just think about how uplifting a bright sunny day can be! Whether you are lighting up the inside or outside of your home, the atmosphere is directly impacted by your lighting choice.
Maximize Curb Appeal
Landscaping, your front entrance, and the condition of your paint and siding are major factors in curb appeal—and lighting these features draws the eye to your home’s pleasant focal points. When looking to enhance your dwelling’s look, adding attractive James Hardie® siding to your exterior is a great place to start. Next, show off your home’s unique features with well-designed outdoor lighting. The right outdoor lighting plan creates an inviting welcome to your Richmond home—one you can be proud of and enjoy daily.
Lighting Styles to Feature in Your Outdoor Lighting Design
There are a variety of options to consider when designing outdoor lighting for your home. Prior to making your selections, consider the goal of your exterior lighting.
1. Boost Security and Overall Protection
Safeguard your overall protection and fortify your home with exterior lighting. Options to consider include:
- Sensor lighting — To safeguard your home, place sensor lighting in otherwise dark spots around your home.
- Floodlights — To increase security, add floodlights to your home’s exterior.
- Timed lights on your garage — To ensure your home is well lit every night, add timed lights to both sides of the garage exterior.
- Walkway and path lighting for visibility — To prevent trips and falls, outline your walkway with solar-powered lights.
- Lights on staircases — To improve safety and visibility, install lights on exterior stairs.
2. Welcome Guests with a Warm Entryway
Nothing says welcome like a well-lit front door. When highlighting your entryway’s focal point—the front door—options to consider include:
- Scone lights — Attractive scone lights mounted on either side of the front door create a balanced look and a well-lit entrance.
- Pendant lighting — Hang a pendant light from the front porch’s ceiling to create a welcoming entrance.
3. Add Spotlights to Highlight Your Home’s Special Features
A basic spotlight highlighting your home’s distinct qualities offers the perfect touch to your exterior lighting design and provides interest to your overall look.
4. Enhance Your Exterior’s Character with Interesting Fixtures
Your backyard offers endless opportunities to use ambient lighting to set the mood for entertaining or to enjoy quiet evenings in the privacy of your yard or deck. The sky is the limit on backyard lighting. Here are some creative options to consider:
- Hang lanterns in the low branches of your trees.
- String party lights around the perimeter of your deck or porch.
- Hang bistro lights above an outdoor table for dinners with loved ones.
- Create space for an outdoor chandelier to add a touch of class to your backyard.
5. Don’t Forget Backyard Deck Lighting
Create the perfect mood when entertaining outdoors with deck lighting. Here are some deck lighting options to enrich your gatherings:
- Subtle and warm deck lighting adds illumination to your evenings.
- Motion sensor deck lights on the steps leading from your deck to the yard create beauty and functionality to enjoy.
- Post cap deck lights provide well-defined borders to your deck and ample light for your gatherings.
6. Enjoy Your Backyard Year-Round with a Fire Pit
Every season of the year can be celebrated in the backyard. When the chill of fall and winter come, light up your fire pit and enjoy some fresh air, blankets, and maybe even roasted marshmallows!
- Extra entertaining space can easily be found in the backyard during all four seasons.
- Hedge-like landscaping can provide shelter on a windy night. Blankets can warm your family and friends as you enjoy the evening around a beautiful fire pit.
- Your fire pit location should be chosen with caution. It should never be too close to any structure, and never under a covered porch.
- Minimize uninvited fire spread by finding an open area free of excessive debris in which to station your fire pit.
If your Richmond, Virginia home needs remodeling and home improvement, the experts at Dependable Home Services are here to assist you with excellent materials and quality workmanship. Call us at 804-334-6839 and get a free quote today!