Blogy

Fall is the season when I seem to take most advantage of our backyard outdoor lighting. Less daylight means longer evenings in the backyard while it is still warm enough to bar-b-q enjoy the patio set until bedtime. It also means that I turn on the backyard lights a little earlier each evening to enjoy the late summer nights.

Earlier in the year, the evenings stay light until at least past the kids bedtime, and often even later than the time our friends all go home in order to get up for work the next day. I just don’t seem to use my backyard lights until the shorter days of fall, when evenings get dark way before it’s time to come in.

My love of designing outdoor lighting schemes really only began when my partner and I bought our current house. I first saw how charming and romantic an interesting lighting scheme and a few well placed spotlights could be one time I was dining at a downtown restaurant patio after dark. Since then, we have experimented with the lighting plan in our backyard every year, adding and moving string lights, sometimes adding rope lights, sometimes using twinkly lights. Generally the color palette is only white, though sometimes I use color as an accent.

The first thing you need to consider when developing an outdoor lighting scheme is safety. The pathways and the doorways need to be properly illuminated in order to prevent any unexpected stumbles. Properly lit entrance ways including any back alleys that might border your property also increase your level of personal safety. A good rule of thumb is to have at least 100 watts of light at every door, set of steps, or any other place that you might want to go to at night ie alleys or garbage bin areas,

After ensuring that your main areas have been well lit, you can take care of the interesting part of your backyard lighting design. Wrapping rope lights around the trunks of trees is always a striking effect, as is using spotlights to focus attention on an interesting statue or bush in your garden. For special occasions I have a string of twinkly lights that I’ve placed in the ivy along our neighbours fence. And my favorite effect is always natural light – torches serve double duty as a lovely ambient touch, as well as keeping mosquitoes away by burning citronella oil.

A well thought out backyard lighting scheme can double your use of your outdoor space, by turning an unlit and unused outdoor space into a spectacular evening focal point that your family can enjoy all year round. Using your outdoor space is one of the cheapest ways to expand your living space, and a little time with some inexpensive outdoor lights will probably be one of the best decorating jobs you do to your house. The bonus is that it is also very flexible – if you see some new ideas that you like, it is simply a matter of moving a few lights and you have a whole new outdoor lighting design!