003: Power of Outdoor Lighting with Lette Birn

The power of outdoor Lighting Want to add mega value to your home with minimum cost? – The trick is to illuminate the outdoors properly. Just like we see it indoors, good outdoor lighting makes a huge difference in how we feel about a place: Does it appear attractive, inviting and well-kept or sinister and neglected? Good outdoor lighting definitely adds curb appeal and therefore increases the home value. In addition it makes us feel comfortable and secure. It feels welcoming, and at the same time it is definitely a deterrent to uninvited guests. You want to create a welcoming entrance to your home, and you also want to be able to walk safely up the steps. From the inside you want to be able to clearly identify who’s coming to visit. So, to get started on this lighting project, stand in front of your house at night facing it and think about the impression you get. The warm lights from the windows probably add an inviting glow, which is definitely the case when you are entertaining and the house is lit up, but this is most likely not sufficient light for the walkway or the stairs. Now picture yourself coming home in the dark by yourself without interior lights. 

What would you need to show you the way? There is of course the flood light with a motion sensor that immediately changes the surroundings from dark to prison camp brightness when triggered by a cat or a moving branch, but I prefer not to be blinded by those at the front door. Floodlights have their place for safety and for those bump-in-the-night scary moments. You can place some around the house inconspicuously under the eaves and have them on a switch in the house. (I’d actually like a switch next to my bed, but didn’t think of it when they wired our house.) Motion detectors are great and don’t have to only be used with glary spot lights and get you blinded. They can be bought separately and added to decorative wall sconces for the front door. A nice touch. Path lights work well for illuminating the walkway up to the front door and for getting around on uneven terrain and steps. There are a few ways to approach the lighting design for a walkway and the layout of the path lights. Generally we recommend an approach where the design is as inconspicuous and “natural” as possible and warn against the “runway-effect” of too many landscape lights lined up in a row. In certain situations, however, like with a stark, minimalist contemporary design a row of lights can make a bold statement.

So, back to the front door. The front door is THE place to make a statement!

Wall lights, lanterns, ceiling lights or pendants? Depending on the architecture of your home you can use wall sconces or lanterns flanking the doorway or lights mounted to or recessed into the ceiling – or a combination of both. With some minimal, clean, contemporary home designs it might be tempting to choose only recessed overhead lights. But keep the “flashlight-under-the-chin” effect in mind: Illumination directly from above is almost as ghastly as from below – and it can be almost impossible to see the facial features of a visitor with this choice of lighting.

If this is still the lighting of choice, consider combining it with some other form of illumination like landscape lighting. Indirect illumination of landscape features or architectural details nearby is an elegant, unobtrusive way of adding light without the light fixtures being visible. The same principle goes for the beautiful decorative fixture that does not shed sufficient light. It might just need a little help and could work well if you add other less visible light sources like a couple of recessed light. Recessed fixtures are a nice addition over garage doors or under eaves around the house, since they practically disappear, but provide the light that is needed. On porches it is a good idea to complement them with wall lights for added atmosphere. Think layers of light.

One of the most important considerations when choosing wall sconces to flank a doorway is size and proportions.

In my experience most people tend to choose entry lights that are too small for the scale of the door and house front. With larger homes and taller ceilings, be bold! As for size: look at the proportions of your front entryway. The rule of thumb is that wall fixtures should be anywhere from 1/4 to 1/3 the height of the door. 1/4 of the height if you have a pair flanking the door and 1/3 if you are using a single lantern.

You can use two sizes of sconces on the front of your house, some for your front door as well as some for your garage. You’ll want to use the larger sconces at the front door to create the focal point and the smaller ones in other areas around the house.

As a rule of thumb, outdoor sconces or lanterns should be mounted with the center of the light source about 5’6” to 6’ from the ground and 8’ – 10’ apart. Lighting the secondary entrances to your home, like patio and kitchen doors, follow the same requirements as the front door, but the main focus might be on safety paired with a comfortable general light for outdoor entertaining. Choose lights that meet your needs for illumination as well as atmosphere and fit the style of your home.

Don’t light up your yard or driveway like a prison yard.

Patio and deck Lighting creates a mood for relaxing, entertaining and cooking outdoors. Our decks and patios have become important extensions of our living rooms, kitchens and dining rooms. As we add state-of-the-art barbecues, outdoor kitchens, comfortable dining areas we want to add the comforts we experience indoors. Whether enjoying a romantic meal for two or entertaining a crowd, we want to see the food on our plates, look good, maybe feel romantic and also be able to move around without danger of tripping. Deck railings and posts come in handy. If you plan ahead and incorporate electrical boxes strategically into your deck you can use the railing for attaching outdoor rope or string lights and get the light away from the house.

Since patios are built on ground level they typically don’t have any safety railings, so you’ll have to be creative and find other solutions. We added commercial string lights in the trees around our porch. Wall sconces on posts work well, too. Ceiling Fans with lights are a great source of overhead lighting for your covered porch or patio. In addition to keeping you cool and creating a pleasant atmosphere they can help add lighting to the space.

There are ceiling fans rated for damp and wet locations. If the fan is rated for damp locations, it should not be exposed to direct moisture in any way, but can take the indirect moisture created from a downpour. Ceiling fans rated for wet locations are manufactured so the motor is protected from water and the blades won’t warp. Some manufacturers like Kichler Lighting have come out with” chandeliers as well as floor and table lamps rated for exterior use. This makes it possible to bring a feeling of “home” outdoors and extend the hours you can enjoy your patio or deck.

Limit bright lights to high activity areas such as the entrance and your outdoor kitchen and use softer decorative overhead lighting in your outdoor dining and living area. Keep in mind that great contrasts in lighting, especially outdoors can be trip hazard. As we age, the eye’s ability to adjust from dark to light surroundings slows, which makes it harder to move quickly from a well lit to a darker area. So, if you are a baby-boomer or older, just plan your outdoor lights accordingly: Avoid sharp contrasts by using multiple light sources. Use soft ambient lights to fill the completely dark areas with a touch of light, especially at the perimeter of brightly lit areas around doorways and stairs. It might be practical to have the flexibility to choose the levels of light, so plan on installing dimmers to control the light levels of your outdoor lights, especially around your entertainment areas. This way you can go from security lights to mood lighting at the touch of a switch.

Landscape and path lighting looks the best if the light source is not glaring in your eyes, blinding you.

The trick is to illuminate an area without the light sources being the center of attention. Use subtle illumination of rocks, bushes and other natural features along the way. Works just as well, but what a difference!

A little light goes a long way outdoors. In order to avoid glare and create atmosphere it is always preferable to use several light sources with a low wattage instead of a single one that will keep your neighbors awake. For landscape lights a cooler color temperature works better. Plants look sickly under yellow light and fresh under cooler light, so look for lamps with a color temperature above 3000K.

Choose a warmer color temperature of around 2700K for lights directly around the house, since they create a warmer inviting feel and fit the color temperatures most often used indoors, especially in homes with lots of wood, texture and softer tones. This way you create the feel of extending the living area outdoors.

As an added bonus landscape lighting expands your interior space visually. We have so many clients with beautiful homes, tall ceilings, lots of huge windows and grandiose views. They enjoy their sunlit grand rooms during the day, but complain about the huge expanses of black glass at nighttime. We always recommend outdoor illumination of a sculpture, a fountain, trees or bushes to add visual interest outdoors and a feel of comfort, since the windows feel more transparent .