Dec 25 2009
How To Pick Outdoor Patio Lights
I became charmed with the drama of outdoor patio lights at an exceptionally romantic restaurant in the old part of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We sat in the courtyard garden surrounded by outdoor art sculptures while rope lights wandered up and down the trees. It was the first time I had recognized the beauty and impact of outdoor lighting and outdoor art. I was mesmerized. Since that initial night I have visited many other romantic restaurants and have admired their outdoor lighting and outdoor art but nothing makes an impact like the first night.
At my own house, I have tried to replicate the feel of bringing the indoors out which is what properly placed outdoor patio lights should do. I have met with moderate success and I love to experiment. In choosing your outdoor lights there are a number of things you should always consider. I have tried to list the 4 most important considerations below.
1. Determine the purpose of your outdoor lighting. Is the lighting going to be primarily functional and safety oriented or will it be more atmospheric? Some amount of outdoor lighting is needed for general safety. These bright outdoor patio lights should be placed at every door including your garage door. Other types of lighting can be simply for atmospheric effect. Lighting for effect can be dimly illuminated. Mood lighting should be changed about for greater dramatic effect.
2. Determine the placement of your outdoor lights. Be sure to highlight any outdoor sculptures you may have or a pond or a swimming pool. You can use rope lights to highlight distant objects. Often lovely and simple white Christmas lights make a nice year-round twinkly setting. The lights needed for safety should be by each door of your house at a minimum. It must be relatively easy to maintain safety lights. If the light requires a 20 foot ladder to change and you don’t have a 20 foot ladder then the light position should be changed.
3. Determine the type of light you want. These days cost and energy efficiency are important considerations in choosing a type of outdoor patio lights for your home. You could choose solar lights. Solar lighting is very popular and has been recently hyped. Solar lights require careful and cannot be counted on in cloudy or rainy areas. The most energy efficient and thus environmentally conscious is LED lights. These lights can be used as both safety lights and background effect lighting. The price of LED lighting is reasonable and these lights are often chosen.
Visit outdoor lighting for more information about outdoor patio lighting.
