Highlighting Architectural Details Of Your Home

There’s more to outdoor lighting design than a few stake lights on a pathway and an uplit tree or patio lantern. A unique professional outdoor lighting design can pay for itself in gained value through curb appeal, and high end fixtures will last for years to come. Lighting the architectural details of your home can give a sense of depth and breadth, and create an inviting scene for guests. You really love your home, so why not let that pride show through after the sun goes too!

Our design experts consider a variety of factors in creating an outdoor lighting plan that offers unique appeal for your home. Whether you have a century home with its peaks and dormer, a modern façade with lots of windows, or a contemporary home with lots of straight lines, we can create a unique that will have people pausing on the street with envy!

3 Things To Consider In Design
Architectural lighting has three main considerations for designers. The first is aesthetic appeal. You want your home or business to stand out, in a good way. Second, we always consider the function of the space. The local pub’s outdoor patio needs different lighting than the local sports field than a country estate. Here a few elements we always work into outdoor lighting designs.

Balance
Symmetry is often employed by architects and house builders, so it makes sense to make the best use of that with outdoor lighting. Create a bit of visual trickery and extend the appearance of the width of a façade by lighting the landscape on each side. Lighting only the landscape and not the house is a mistake, the house should be the focal point from the street, however ignoring the landscape around the house creates an unnatural look.

Shadow Effects
When people think of outdoor lighting they tend to think of where to shine a light. They consider hiding a light in front or behind a tree, but shadows are just effective as direct light. Moving the fixture closer or further from the base of a wall can create a variety of looks depending on your tastes. Craggy or uneven surfaces, such as stone veneers, offer unique shadows and patterns.

Where the light is aimed is important to consider because shadows can be very long, they can move with the wind, they can hide blemishes and create softer light for a romantic setting. Place a fixture at the base of an exterior wall aimed toward another wall to highlight the expanse or height of the architecture. Move the fixture further from the base of the exterior wall and point it up to highlight stone work or angles. Aim the fixture at another wall to provide a subtle glow and let the shadows hint at depth.

Mix Up And Down Lights

Which architectural details do you wish to highlight and hide? Directing light up or down draws the eye in predictable ways. Consider mixing up the lights at the base of the exterior wall and those shining down from the eaves or dormers. Pillars, columns, unique peaks, chimneys, dormers should all be considered in the lighting design with an eye of which features should be hidden and highlighted. Soffits and eaves commonly trap light which can be used strategically.

We’d love to answer your outdoor lighting questions or help you design a spectacular lighting display for your property. Contact our experts today to learn more about our lighting services or view our gallery of one-of-a-kind designs.