Exterior Lighting

Exterior Lighting

Treasuring your garden and outdoors shouldn't just be for daylight hours. Welcome guests, draw attention to features and disguise necessities like rubbish bins with strategically placed lighting. Outdoor lighting should be tantalising - A balance of contrast will create an understated natural feel and make a space feel larger than it is.  Whether your fixtures are decorative or functional - their design, illumination and placement play a crucial part in  lighting  your outdoor space for a seamless transition from day to night. Read on to find out how to create an inspiring outdoor space with high quality fixtures which celebrate both form and function from Lighting+.

Set the mood by avoiding harsh or direct light sources. Instead, layer your lighting utilising indirect light sources at different points to foster ambience. Wall lights are perfect for  creating a gentle wash of soft, indirect light - superb as a guiding light along footpaths. A set of uplights will cast the light upwards washing the surface,  emphasising the space and lending a more open feel. Whereas downlights direct the majority of the  light down and highlight the horizontal area – creating a cosy atmosphere, even in a  larger space.

TIP: When positioning your wall lights, aim for the top of the wall light to sit at eye level to avoid glare.

Add a bit of charm with a string of Festoon Lights. The soft, cosy glow will create a warm and welcoming atmosphere ready for gatherings.

Spotlighting Features

Invite people to explore and discover their way around outdoors and experience the magic of highlighting.

Consider highlighting the focal points of your landscape with inground or spike spotlights. Water features, trees, stone walls/pillars and sculptures all dance with light in the most magnificent way. 

As an alternative to guiding a path with lights along its length, consider highlighting nearby plants and trees instead. The deflected light will be enough to see where you’re going while instilling a sense of mystery.

TIP: If you’re in the beginning stages of designing your garden & entertainment area, work on your lighting plan now. Most exterior lights require a connection to the main  power supply source to hide transformers and wiring. Pop in store and chat to a lighting expert to sort  a lighting plan!

In any landscape lighting plan, the entry light shines the brightest. A first impression - The entryway light is a welcoming glow to guide guests to the front door, designed to help others see and to be seen. Most commonly a wall light is used in the entryway which can be an opportunity to inject a bit of personality and interest. Frame your front door with a light either side, they can also be paired with an overhead light if more illumination is needed. 

Regardless of style, it is important to make sure that whatever fixture you are considering has the right IP rating. This is not the space to be using an old pendant light from your kitchen. Even if it  is protected from direct rain, moisture such as condensation or humidity will find their way into the  electrical components of the fitting. Lighting designed for exterior use are constructed from materials and finishes which can  withstand the elements.  

TIP: When selecting a fixture, don’t forget about its daytime appearance; make sure it doesn’t clash  with your architecture or landscape design.

The most important factor to consider when installing security lights is their positioning. Your security  lights need to be strategically placed so that they provide maximum illumination while minimising  blind spots. Finding the vertical sweet spot is essential to a well-placed security light. Mount your  security light too low and it will allow them to be easily tampered with, too high and they’ll  struggle to provide sufficient illumination due to the natural way light diffuses across a distance.

The Escort floodlight is your go-to security light. A classic twin spotlight design, each head has  a tilt and rotate function so you can direct the light. The long life LED means you  can place it out of reach from tampering hands and not have to worry about replacing it.