Landscape lighting should allow nighttime enjoyment of your yard without being overwhelming. The goal is to highlight the best features of an outdoor space and ensure safe movement for you and your guests. To avoid harsh lighting, try some of these techniques that we offer to enhance your Southampton, NY, home’s landscape lighting with reflective surfaces.
Plan Your Landscape Lighting
When starting a landscape lighting project, it’s important to have a plan. When you know which elements you want to highlight, determining the best ways to create the desired lighting effect is easily achieved with the help of an outdoor lighting specialist. Good landscape lighting comes from multiple angles to provide a soft, evenly distributed glow. Lights should never be directed where they will shine in people’s eyes. Mirror lighting is a technique that adds light by using reflective surfaces and works well to keep light levels low.
Pools
A pool is fun during the day, but without proper lighting, it’s just a dark space in your landscape at night. Good lighting can transform your pool into a stunning nighttime focal point. Whether lit from above or below, the smooth, still surface of a pool will add an extra layer of shimmer to your landscape lighting.
Underwater lights create a beautiful effect and should not be omitted when planning your pool lighting. A single bright underwater light can produce a harsh light, but well spread out submerged lighting will create an even underwater glow. A pool lit from below the surface will provide a soft glow and add depth to the flat surface.
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Create the look of a starry sky reflecting on your pool with fluorescent glass tiles. The tiles illuminate from the bottom of the pool with intricate patterns similar to that of a night sky.
For both safety and aesthetics, it’s important to have good lighting around the pool. Adding fixtures at water level at entry/exit points of the pool will ensure safety and create attractive reflections on the water surface.
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Ponds
A backyard pond offers another opportunity for beautiful reflective light. With good lighting, your pond can become a magical spot at night. Lighting strategically placed around the background of the pond will highlight plants and reflect off the water. Waterfalls make excellent focal points and create a shimmering effect on the surface of a pond when properly lit.
Vertical Surfaces
To add extra lighting to your yard, make use of potential reflective surfaces on your home, garage, fences, and walls. Have lighting installed that reflects off the vertical surfaces and takes advantage of their reflective properties. This will create a diffused light over a wide area. Light colored surfaces such as siding, white brick, or light colored paint work best to create extra illumination. Wall sconces with shades that are open at the back will reflect well off exterior walls.
Free Standing Items
If your landscape doesn’t have water features and is surrounded by dark surfaces, there are still ways to add mirror lighting to your yard. Choosing lights with reflective finishes will disperse more light than a darker colored fixture.
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Gazing globes are becoming a popular feature in many gardens. These beautiful glass or metal orbs can be placed on the ground or on a stand. During the day they reflect their surroundings, but at night they will create an array of reflected light. Mirrors, glossy sculptures, and fountains can also be incorporated to add reflective properties to the space.