Once your Oyster Bay, NY landscape has been transformed into a setting of which you can be proud, you’ll need exquisite lighting schemes to maintain its glow after sunset. Lighting design and installation requires professional help, but the end result can be spectacular. Effective outdoor lighting provides safety, curb appeal, and increases the value of your home, but ineffective lighting can detract from the attractive setting that you have created. To get the most out of your lighting plan, avoid these common mistakes and brighten up your landscape.
Not enough light
Sometimes, even if you use high-quality lights, they lack the power to light the whole space. That leaves your landscape looking dull, disappointing, and incomplete. Low level lighting can be effective for ambience, but stay away from underpowered spot lighting that extends halfway up to the object being spotlit, or that isn’t powerful enough to light up a wider area. It’s important to find the balance between the height and width of the landscape element and the light’s power. Finding the right balance can avoid creating glare, while maintaining the spotlight’s effectiveness. Another solution is to install additional lower level lighting sources that multiple layers of light, increasing the effectiveness of the lighting without saturating the area.
Lighting only half of your landscape is an even bigger mistake. It gives an unflattering and disproportional look to your home. When setting up your lighting, ensure that the entire area contains some degree of lighting, be it ambient lighting or highlighting of key features.
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Too much light
The problem with too much light can often arise from too few light sources. The glare created by relying too heavily on only one or two sources of light can make your landscape appear saturated and characterless. On the other hand, too many sources of high-intensity light is equally unflattering. Finding a balance between light strength and number of light sources can solve this. Focussed functional lighting can also prevent the ambience from being ruined by keeping sources of bright light limited to a single surface or area.
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No or poor highlights
One of the most important aspects of landscape light is highlighting the best features of your yard. Aside from finding the balance of enough power, your landscape’s fixtures should be placed at the correct angle. Bad fixture placement can results in an uneven or stark appearance of the focal feature. Adding a variety of less powerful fixtures – with the appropriate angle - can add dimension and prevent the feature from appearing flat.
The wrong colors
Color adds mood and atmosphere to your landscape design. A common mistake many homeowners make is adding too much white lighting, creating a sterile atmosphere, or yellow light that can creates a dated appearance. Instead, consider introducing a subtle variety of colors in appropriate positions. Cool blue and green lighting can be effective in creating a dreamy poolside setting, while the glow of warm lighting can be used to create comfort and a sense of coziness in entertainment or dining areas.