Tomorrow is June 1st, which means that 2013 is almost halfway over and the outdoor holiday lighting season is just around the corner! The winter holiday season is one of my favorite times of the year. I love all of the colors and decorations as well as seeing the different ways people decorate their home for the holidays.
Every year we see different products and trends come to the holiday lighting industry, but some decorations are tried and true. Here are some of the outdoor holiday lighting ideas that I think will be big this season.
C9 String Lights. Christmas string lights are popular year after year, a testament to their versatility and classic design. So much can be done with string lights that I don’t anticipate them going out of style any time soon. Whether a homeowner wants red, green, white, yellow, blue or other color, it is most likely available. One thing that a lot of people don’t know about C9 string lights is that they not only come in a number of colors, but they have different textures as well. The more classic bulb has a smooth surface, but there is also a faceted lens that is textured. The faceted lens creates more sparkle than the smooth surface lenses which makes them perfect for the holidays.
Snowflake Lights. Snowflake and white icicle lights have been available for years now, but when it comes to snowflake lights, the options have never been so vast. Five years ago, you may have had a choice of five or so designs, but now there are so many more. Some of the commercial Christmas trees that we have done, we’ve used a bunch of different snowflake designs. Mixing and matching snowflake lights really adds some whimsy and visual interest to an outdoor holiday display.
Color. The majority of Christmas lighting that we at Outdoor Lighting Perspectives have designed and installed has been white and gold, but we are slowly seeing more and more color. Colored holiday lighting has been used commercially at a much higher rate than residential projects, but more people are inquiring about colored string lights as well as lighting displays that incorporate the colors of the season. I love this poinsettia display as a colorful addition to a lighting display!
As the season truly comes (I’m anxious, what can I say), we’ll have a better idea of what people are into this year. At Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, we have a full service approach to holiday lighting for our clients. It has four steps: design, install, take down and store.
When a new client is interested in professional holiday lighting, we first meet with them to discuss likes, dislikes, see their house and get an idea of the budget. Each and every lighting design we create is completely custom, ensuring it is just what the client wants. Some may want a candy cane theme while someone else may want something more classic.
Once we’ve designed the lighting display, we have a team of installers that come out to the house to install it. This is one of the biggest benefits of having a company do your Christmas lights. Who wants to stand on a ladder for hours hanging lights? Not me!
After the holiday season, we come back out to the house to take down, pack up and store the lighting display until next year. Why do we store them? By storing the lights, we not only save our clients’ room, but it also allows us to test every light before installing them again. Bulbs burn out from time to time and when we store the lights, we are able to make sure everything is in good working order before we get to your house. If something new is needed, we can order it before installation.
If you have questions on holiday lighting, please reach out to your local Outdoor Lighting Perspectives office.