Shedding Light

Exterior lighting not only provides an added layer of safety and security, it also creates a visually interesting aesthetic for your home. If you are just beginning to think about exterior lighting, start by asking yourself a few questions…What are you trying to accomplish? What environment are you trying to create? What is the right type of light to do the job?

Safe, Secure, and Spectacular

Keeping you and your house safe and secure, while making a spectacular statement with lighting, is achievable with a solid design plan. For example, motion-detecting security lighting mounted near the garage provides illumination when you get out of your car at night; the same function deters intruders while enhancing the architectural detail of your home. Motion detecting switches can also be applied to landscape lighting to illumine shadowy areas should anyone walk nearby while highlighting landscape features that greet guest.

As you start to plan your exterior lighting design, consider the following:

 

A well-lit front entrance enables you to greet guests and identify visitors. Wall lanterns on each side of the door will give your home a warm, welcoming look, while assuring the safety of those who enter. Under a porch or other overhang, you can use recessed, chain-hung or close-to-ceiling fixtures. A separate rear or side entrance can be lighted with a single wall lantern installed on the keyhole side of the door.

Landscaping and trees make stunning features whether illumined from below or given presence by a light mounted in the tree itself.

Highlight architecture through the use of uplighting. Uplighting is dramatic because we expect light to shine downward. Used in moderation, it’s a great way and landscaping features. If using on architecture, aim the fixtures so that the light is captured by your eaves to lessen light pollution.
 

 

Steps, paths, and driveways should be illuminated to make sure family members and guests are able to move about easily and safely after dark. You can install path lights or post lanterns or attach lights to the side of the house.

 

Create inviting spaces by turning decks and patios into evening retreats by concealing low-voltage mini-lights under steps, railing or benches. Another idea is to install a spotlight in the branches of a nearby tree.

To help improve any element of your home, contact Westenhaver Construction at 573-302-0040 or contact us here.