Landscape lighting starts with the yard, not the catalog
Where roofline lighting works on the building, landscape lighting handles everything below it: paths, garden beds, trees and stairs. The goal is to see the tree, not the light pointed at it. Done badly, you get a line of glowing dots along the
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What goes in a typical plan
Most plans start with the walk, because that is the part you use whether or not anybody is looking. A well placed uplight keeps the yard from going flat and black at nine at night. Then there are beds and low plantings, steps and retaining walls where the light is really about not tripping, and the driveway.
Where the categories blur
Homeowners rarely want one category. Out back, patio lighting is the difference between a patio you use and one you look at. Security lighting deals with the corners of the lot, which is a different goal from the pretty work. Accent lighting handles the detail.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is volume. A yard lit evenly at every point has no depth, which is exactly the look people are trying to get away from. Badly aimed fixtures put light in your guests' eyes rather than onto the surface. The third is ignoring how the yard will look in five years, since the bed in front of a fixture fills in.
Businesses and communities
Businesses use the same tools for different reasons. A restaurant patio has to be comfortable to sit in after dark. Parking and walkways come down to safety. A neighborhood entrance sets the tone for everything behind it, which is why entry lighting gets attention in planned developments.
How they work as one design
The two solve different problems, and most properties want both. The house reads as a shape; the ground has layers. Either one alone leaves half the property flat.A single design avoids a mismatched result, which is what happens when two companies work the same property in different years. If the budget has to be split, ask which half does more for your property, and it is not always the roofline.Unlike a roofline system, ground level fixtures shift. Fixtures shift over time, beds fill in around them, and aiming drifts. An annual adjustment keeps the plan looking like the plan.
Getting it planned properly
The plan comes from walking the property, not picked from a page. EverCrest Lighting does landscape lighting installation along with patio, accent, security and permanent roofline lighting for homes and businesses. Working out of Greenville, South Carolina, they cover Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. The consultation is free and the design is drawn for your property. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or
[email protected].