6 of the Best Non-Traditional Outdoor Lighting Techniques

6 of the Best Non-Traditional Outdoor Lighting Techniques

Who doesn't want a well-lit home at night? Illuminating your home with landscape lights can be beautiful, and your home will effortlessly grab the attention of anyone passing by. There are different outdoor lighting techniques you can use, but some stand out. Six of the best non-traditional outdoor lighting techniques that will turn your property into a stunning and safe place are silhouetting, shadowing, wall-washing, uplighting, downlighting, and moonlighting. From a dark and eerie place to a bright and stunning property, you'll never go wrong with these outdoor lighting techniques. Learn more about these lighting techniques and how they can brighten up your home!

1. Silhouetting

While your landscape boasts features that stand out during the day, their well-defined shapes may drown in the darkness of the night. Traditional outdoor lighting is not enough as it will merely illuminate them. Silhouetting will make them stand out. Silhouette lighting is an outdoor lighting technique that involves placing a lighting fixture like a spotlight between a landscape element and a wall.

This technique creates a silhouette of your outdoor features, such as topiaries, statues, shrubs, and trees. The object will appear darker against your wall, showcasing its intricate and stunning edges. Through silhouetting, the contrast between the light and the silhouette adds a dramatic effect to your property.

2. Shadowing

Shadowing involves placing a lighting fixture in front of an object with a wall behind to catch the shadows. A flat surface is highly recommended for this landscape lighting as it will act as a canvas for the playful and exciting shadows of your landscape features. You can play around with the brightness and the angle of the spotlight to achieve an ambient glow on your wall. Here are some landscape features that will benefit the most from shadowing:

• Small plants with open foliage produce larger-than-life shadows that cover almost your entire wall.
• Tall shrubs placed close together will create columns of shadows that are visible from a distance.

3. Wall-washing

Even your home's flat and smooth wall deserves to be showcased at night! Wall-washing is the perfect outdoor lighting technique for your walls. You can achieve uniform illumination on your wall by placing the lighting fixture at least 12 inches away and directing it towards a flat surface. This technique removes shadows and enhances the smoothness of your walls, making your property look grander and bigger than it already is.

4. Uplighting

Simply put, uplighting is the process of placing a lighting fixture below an object and then pointing it upwards. This lighting technique works best for tall and sturdy trees with a large trunk or picturesque statues that demand to be seen at night. Uplighting your favorite landscape features will make them focal points of your outdoor space since this technique will showcase their grand structure. Because the light is directed upwards, uplighting can make your outdoor features seem like they are floating in the dark. This outdoor lighting technique will not only illuminate objects but make them stand out as well, even from a distance!

5. Downlighting

Downlighting is the exact opposite of uplighting. With this outdoor lighting technique, you will place a spotlight above a structure, directing the light downwards. If you're looking for versatility, downlighting is the perfect technique for you. This is because downlighting works well on walls, structures, and open areas. If you like to hang out on your patio at night, downlighting with soft lights will make your quiet time cozier! Downlighting is a safe option to illuminate your outdoor space because there are no lighting fixtures you can step on.

6. Moonlighting

Outdoor lighting is no longer for aesthetic purposes only as it has been helping improve safety on your property. Moonlighting is the perfect lighting technique to provide sufficient illumination to your outdoor space at night. It involves mounting lights high above a tree or a tall structure with the light directed below, creating a subtle glow that almost mimics the natural moonlight. Moonlighting from trees stands out since the lights create shadows from the leaves and provide a dream-like walkway for you at night.

This technique can illuminate a large portion of your yard throughout the night, improving visibility on your property to help deter criminals and intruders. We recommend using lights with a soft glow to prevent disruptive glares in your outdoor space at night.

Call us today to schedule our landscape lighting services!

Outdoor lighting is now becoming more of a necessity than a luxury. By improving visibility on your property, you effortlessly showcase outstanding landscape features while improving safety at night. Our professionals at Lehigh Valley Lawn have the skills and knowledge to design and install landscape lights on your property. We use LED lights since they are safer and longer-lasting! Our services are available to properties in and around Macungie, East Greenville, and Fogelsville, PA. Call us at (484) 547-8246 to schedule our landscape lighting services.