Are you unhappy with how your backyard or garden looks like, especially at night? More often than not, the problem is simple: You need to upgrade or fix your current outdoor lighting. If you spend some time in your property out during the day and everything looks great, but it somehow looks less attractive at night, then you have found your problem.
Read on to learn more on how you can improve your backyard lighting.
1. Attract the Eyes with Magical Lanterns
Lanterns, whether old or new, can be the easiest fix to your lighting problem. They can add lighting to any outdoor space while increasing the area’s attractiveness at the same time. You decide where to place them. You can group them in certain points, such as the corners of the property, or simply line them up on a wall. You can cluster them and place them atop dining tables. There is no wrong answer. Depending on your preference, you can go for actual wax candles or use the more convenient LED candles that are battery-operated.
2. Create an Area Conducive to Fine Dining
What can create a lovely fine dining experience outdoors? The answer: good lighting. The obvious option for this sort of environment is a chandelier, but that might be complicated for weekend DIY projects. You’ll also be disappointed that there aren’t as much outdoor-safe chandeliers as you’d expect. So what can you do? Easy. Hang a candle chandelier from the beams of your covered patio or pergola. It’s easier to use battery-operated LED candles. Complement this setup with some string lights that radiate from where you mounted the candle chandelier all the way down, creating a canopy of lighting above the diners’ heads.
3. Maximize Your Yard’s Space
Aside from clever ways to use lighting to your advantage, it’s also important to practice decluttering – even outdoors. If your garden or yard has old tree stumps, it’s the best time to take them out. You can use the freed up space for additional plants, flowers, dining areas, or landscaping. If you are doing it yourself, make sure to use a durable portable stump grinder, and only get yours from a reputable stump grinder manufacturer.
4. Illuminate Your Steps
Here’s a really smart way of decorating your patio walkways. It’s a safety measure as well! You’ve probably seen illuminated steps in fancy hotels and resorts. That’s what we are trying to mimic, but this way won’t be super costly and won’t need the help of a professional electrician. You can simply get solar deck lights, mount them to flat surfaces using screws — or simply put them on the ground. They will create the best effect from dusk to dawn.
5. Create a Nice, Romantic Glow
Use pillar candles to make a homey, inviting, and romantic atmosphere. Place them in a few select spots on your patio or front porch. The natural candlelight can not only improve the ambiance, but also provide just the right amount of light. They aren’t too bright that they steal focus from your garden’s view. Alternatively, you can use battery-operated ones for a much safer option.
6. Vintage is Back
Edison string lights are a nice way to embrace your vintage sensibilities. They also give out a fun and party-ready vibe to your gardens, patios, and decks. They will look exceptional if you wrap them around bushes or outdoor umbrellas! There’s really nothing like a string of small, twinkly lights. By using vintage lighting with exposed filaments, it’s like reaching out to the stars and pulling them down onto your property.
7. String Lights ...and More String Lights!
Place string lights overhead, spaced out evenly across your garden’s porch area, patio, or if you have courtyard even. They create a nice illusion of having a “light roof” without overshadowing the actual skyscape above. You can use copper DSE for your pots, planters, bushes, trees, and shrubs! You’ll love the after-effect, especially at nighttime.
8. Take Advantage of Your Pool’s Reflection
You read that right! Do you have a pool or jacuzzi in your backyard? You can take advantage of this feature. Not only are they an all-around fun fixture for you and your guests. The water in the pool has reflective qualities, which are awesome in the evening. Place string lights, solar-powered fixtures, or even rows of lanterns, along the edges of your pool. They will cast a soft, subtle light that will reflect as if dancing across the pool’s mirror-like surface.
There you have it. 8 simple but equally effective ways to improve your backyard lighting. As with all decorating efforts, you don’t need to break the bank just to give your property a makeover. All you need is creativity, some patience, and a lot of imagination!
