Designing with Light

Moving outdoors

PLAN OUTDOOR LIGHTING, either low-voltage or 120-volt, much as you would indoor lighting. Begin by deciding where you’ll need light at night for safety, activity, and security. Then you can add decorative or festive accents – though in many cases functional lighting can also be decorative. Outdoor Lighting ...

Because the contrast between darkness and a light source is so great, glare can be a big problem at night. Solve the problem by following these three rules of thumb:

* Choose shielded fixtures.
* Place fixtures out of sight lines.
* Lower the overall light levels.

• With a shielded fixture, the bulb area is protected by an opaque covering that directs light away from the viewer’s eyes. Instead of a hot spot light, the eye sees the warm glow of the lighted object.
• Place shielded fixtures either low (as along a walk) or very high. By doing this properly, you can direct fixtures so that only the light playing in the tree branches is noticed- not a bright glare from the source.
• Reduce light levels by using several softer lights, strategically placed around the patio and yard, rather than a single high-wattage bulb.

A little light goes a long way at night. Twenty watts is considered strong, and even 12 watts can be very bright. If a bulb is clearly visible (a porch light in a clear housing, for example), you may find that even a 12-watt refrigerator bulb is adequate for welcoming guests.

Low-voltage or standard current?

Because low-voltage lighting is safer, more energy-efficient, and easier to install than standard 120-volt systems, it is often used indoors. Low-voltage systems use a transformer to step down household current to 12 volts.
Installing a low-voltage system is relatively simple. Cable can lie on top of the ground, perhaps hidden by mulch or foliage; most fixtures connect easily to cables, and no grounding hookups are required.
The standard 120-volt system does have some advantages outdoors. The buried cable and metallic fixtures of such an installation give it a look of permanence. Also, light can be projected a great distance, especially useful for increasing security and for lighting trees from ground level. An additional advantage is that power tools and patio heaters can be plugged into 120-volt outdoor outlets.

Night lighting lets you edit your views; basically the garden stops where the light stops. Whether your garden is large or small, you should always start by determining how much of it you want to light. It’s important to be aware of how your lights might affect the neighbors, too (some communities even have ordinances regulating “light trespass”).
If you view your garden as a large outdoor room, you’ll see that hedges and fences can act as walls, and trees and arbors as ceilings. The same lighting techniques and tricks that work for a room indoors can help you design the lighting for this outdoor space.

Light can help you create a sense of perspective within your outdoor canvas. Lighting designers do this by dividing a garden into three zones: a foreground, which has relatively midlevel brightness; a middle ground, with low-level light and an interplay of shadows; and a background, often given the brightest light of all in order to draw the eye through the garden.

Ideally, outdoor lighting should combine safety, security, and style. Safety comes first. With this in mind, examine the driveway, the front walk and steps, the front door, the back door and other house approaches, and the swimming pool or spa, if you have one.
The trick to lighting these areas is to combine efficient light with both adequate shielding and a sense of subtlety. You’ll find numerous examples in “Great Lighting Ideas.”
Photocells, timers, and outdoor motion sensors all save energy by switching security lights on and off automatically. Photocells turn lights on at dusk and back off at dawn; with timers, you set the times. Motion-sensor fixtures stay on for a preset interval after being triggered.

Decorative techniques

These decorative garden fixtures not only mark the path; they're stylish,too. Semi-opaque glass shades cut glare to a warm glow.

You can use a number of lighting techniques to tie a garden’s elements together. The two basic mounting positions are downlighting and uplighting. Of the two, downlighting looks more natural – light comes from above and accents or gently washes areas below – though it can also have a dramatic impact. Uplighting, placing the light source beneath what it’s illuminating, is more theatrical. It can be especially useful in new gardens lacking mature trees.
A single, direct source sometimes flattens a lighted object unnaturally, making it look like a billboard. Multiple sources give it dimension. For a dappled, “moonlight” effect, use both uplights and downlights to light a large tree. Decorative rope lights used to outline trees, steps, and railings can lend sparkle to your landscape.
You can create interesting garden effects by placing uplights, downlights, and accent lights on separate switches. Install dimmers for even greater flexibility.