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Make Outdoor Magic With String Lighting
Some enchanted evening, string lights may help your patio or porch put a sparkle in someone's eyes
Houzz Contributor. I'm an interior designer, homeowner and founding blogger of the before + after super-site, http://www.raenovate.com/.
Houzz Contributor. I'm an interior designer, homeowner and founding blogger... More »
Summer is in full swing, and outdoor gatherings are at their peak. Each night as I descend upon my outdoor patio, I thank my lucky stars for string lights that whimsically resemble ... well, lucky stars. The simple, cost-effective and nonpermanent outdoor lighting method has transformed my backyard and can transform yours as well! Whether strung in trees, on the exterior of your home, from poles or on an arbor, they make an ordinary garden look magical. Available in various shapes, sizes and configurations, they are a great way to sprinkle a little light onto your outdoor evening celebration.
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| Hung in a grid pattern, outdoor string lighting can create the illusion of a courtyard. |
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A screened-in porch is an excellent setting for string lights with a paper shade, because you don't have to worry about them getting wet. The Paper Lantern Store offers beauties identical to the black shades shown here.
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| Rows of clear globe string lights are fastened onto a modern garden arbor in Templeton, California, ready to light up a Wine Country night. |
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by kbcdevelopments
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| Hung directly above an outdoor dining table, twinkle lights can illuminate an evening meal. |
| These are reminiscent of Ballard Designs' Cafe String Lights, with each bulb's light reflected off a petal-shape galvanized shade. |
| If your backyard is anything like mine (lacking trees), you can still bedazzle your patio area with string lighting by installing poles to attach the strings to. You can even create temporary poles by installing them in weighted buckets. |
Take advantage of trees on your property to attach the light strings to. Designer Richard Hughes intelligently utilized both the home's exterior and a large tree in the yard.
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by Risinger Homes
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| The team at Risinger Homes combined outdoor string lights with a shade sail to create dramatic overhead patio details in Austin, Texas. |
When paired with modern materials, string lighting takes on a newfangled edge. Trina Turk's Super Paradise Print in Driftwood combines beautifully with globe string lights.
| Outdoor string lighting makes sense on Maui, Hawaii, where the weather is warm all year. |
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| Strung over a pool, lights provide double the twinkle through reflection. |
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String lights are attached directly to this arbor's rafters, while a built-in fire pit offers additional night lighting.
Comments
lyvia cool! The varieties of solar power LED lights are fresh and exciting. They are especially great for low ceilings, where larger lights might be too in your face. They are great for driveway edges and steps too.
11 months ago · Like
gschneider I came across another "string lights" idea for outdoors, but can't remember where from - I had just saved a copy of the photo a while back in my ideas folder. (I do know it came from a site that shares/highlights real weddings.) They hung individual strands of clear Christmas tree lights from their trees. Happy inspiration! 
11 months ago · Like
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Charmean Neithart Interiors, LLC. I've always loved a patio with string lights. This is such an easy thing to do and there is nothing more festive for an outdoor party. Thanks for sharing. Charmean Neithart
11 months ago · Like
lauriefuller I recently created an outdoor "fixture" for over our dining table with a trellis and two strings of lights. We suspended it with lightweight chain and nestled the extension cord in the patio cover framework. It gives a nice warm ambient light and is very festive! It's also easy to relocate should we move the table to a different spot on the patio. 
11 months ago · Like
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fredericklc I have been wanting to incorporate some string lights from our porch into our yard, but just couldn't visualize how to pull this off. This posting has given me several ideas that should be workable for our property. Thanks for the timely and helpful info!
10 months ago · Like
Third Nature Studio Thanks for including me in a great ideabook!
10 months ago · Like
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Ideabook published on July 10, 2012.
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