6 Ideas for Lighting Your Patio
These outdoor lighting tips can help you make the most of long summer nights
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Summer brings warmer nights and the yearning to linger outdoors. But once the sun goes down, your patio or deck requires special lighting to make it as inviting as the inside of your home. Here are six easy ways you can transform your patio or deck lighting. You might never want to go back inside again.
1. Keep it low. At night, any bright light that’s shining in our eyes will cause glare and make it harder for us to see. Light your deck and patio floors with step lights or rail-mounted lights to keep the light low and discreet. You can install lights directly into the deck or patio or get creative with continuous LED strips hidden below steps and platforms.
Find LED strip lights
Find LED strip lights
2. Hide the bulbs. Outdoor wall sconces or hanging lanterns with clear glass — which allow you to plainly see the bulb — can cause major glare issues at night. For usable light, choose fixtures that hide the bulb deep inside the fixture or have frosted glass to help diffuse the light.
3. Bring back the stars. In rural areas with limited light pollution, you might be able to gaze at plenty of real stars. In brighter urban and suburban environments, try mimicking the look of stars with hanging string lights. The small bulbs will add a soft glow at night without too much glare.
Browse outdoor string lights
Browse outdoor string lights
4. Light the fire. Our attraction to flame is strong, some might even say primordial. Outdoor fireplaces, kerosene lanterns and even grouped candles will delight family and friends with their mesmerizing flickers.
5. Make it bigger. You can expand the visual space of your patio or deck by selectively illuminating nearby features such as trees, landscaping and walls. This allows you to see past the edges of the patio or deck, making the space feel larger. Limit light pollution by using the lights only when you’re outside to enjoy them.
6. Enjoy the dark. To really experience the night, leave some areas of your patio and landscape dark. I try to avoid placing lights in a “dark zone” from about waist-high to just above your head. This keeps offensive light out of your eyes so you can better enjoy the fire, gaze at the landscape and linger long into the night.
The illustration above visually recaps the six lighting tips discussed here. Consider pulling all them together to create the perfect nighttime patio experience.
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The illustration above visually recaps the six lighting tips discussed here. Consider pulling all them together to create the perfect nighttime patio experience.
More
How to Hang String Lights Outdoors
Spring Patio Fix-Ups: 6 Ways to Light Your Outdoor Room
Find a landscape designer to integrate outdoor lighting
Hi Adam, I’ve used those solar lanterns too and really like them as well. I especially like to use them inside in the evening, for example in lieu of (or in addition to) candles. They give a lovely glow and can be placed at any height you want.
Sounds like I need to go shopping.
I live in an area that has light restrictions due to being in a military light overlay district, and it isn’t enforced. Neighbors strung bright lights that light up my deck and part of my yard even though we have half acre lights. It is very annoying when they aren’t even outside or even at home.