One of my favorite parts of my job is talking to our outdoor lighting professionals about the projects they are working on. Some have some wonderful new clients who want some unique and contemporary outdoor lighting systems. Over the last few months I’ve noticed a trend: outdoor lighting systems in outdoor living spaces.
At Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, we are huge proponents of making sure you get the most out of your outdoor living spaces with professional outdoor lighting. Yet, we still find that a lot of homeowners have decks, porches, patios, outdoor kitchens and other outdoor structures that they can’t use at night. That seems to be changing. More of our clients are asking us to enhance their outdoor living spaces with beautiful and efficient low voltage outdoor lighting.
Here’s a great example from Rick Johnson, who designs and installs outdoor lighting in Austin. He had a call from a client who recently had a beautiful outdoor kitchen built in their backyard. They entertain a lot and wanted to open that space up to guests all night long. They had a few existing flood lights, but they weren’t enough to properly (and beautifully) light the whole area and didn’t show off the details of the outdoor kitchen. Rick and his team were able to give the homeowners a lighting system that features the sleek lines of the kitchen while making the space safer for guests.
Our most frequently used outdoor lighting fixtures are our copper path lights and our well lights. Neither of those were used in this installation. Instead, the Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Austin team used LED rope lighting and small down lights in this space. LED rope lights are just that, rope-like encasing with LED lights within it. They are great for entertaining spaces as they emit enough light to properly light an area, but they are also available in a variety of colors for a funky look. In this instance, LED rope lights in a cool white were the perfect complement to this modern outdoor kitchen.
To highlight the design and texture of the outdoor kitchen, the rope lighting was installed on the underside of the bar area, along the step from the pool patio to the outdoor kitchen and along the top of the retaining wall that defines the space. The stone work on the retaining walls can now be appreciated at all times of the day.
Although the LED rope lighting is aesthetically pleasing, it also increases the safety of the space. Now the railings, steps and sharp edges are more clearly seen by guests for sure-footing.
The rope lighting, with its down-lighting nature was not enough to make this kitchen usable. The counters and cook space needed to be lit too! Small down lights were installed on the beams of the existing pergola for some overhead lighting. It is just enough to light the space efficiently without overwhelming the area.
Whether it is an outdoor kitchen like this, a deck, patio or other outdoor living space, outdoor lighting is imperative if you want to enjoy the space at all hours of the day safely. If you have a space that needs outdoor lighting, reach out to your local Outdoor Lighting Perspectives office. Our custom designs will ensure that you have a system that not only beautiful, but efficient and effective.