Garden Lighting!
Garden lighting is becoming more popular with improved luminares and controls
that are user friendly. This time of year is great to look at installing or upgrading
outside lighting. The majority of our installations now centre around low voltage
LED fittings controlled by wifi operated on smartphone or tablets.
Planning is essential, what do you want to achieve? Do you have hero features like
trees, paths, statues or water? I like to tell the story of a garden in a way that can
be read from your home and take you on a visual journey. This works even with
small gardens, it’s a matter of scale.
Garden lighting can play an important part in improving our homes and adding
value. In the winter seeing the outside gives interest and adds a feeling of space.
I normally use white light in natural planted areas for shrubs, trees, paths and may
use RGB coloured light or a chandelier in structured entertaining areas.
Low voltage (12v) lamps give low running cost’s, less maintenance and longer life.
If you want to upgrade an existing scheme these can be retro fitted. However if you
need to replace old fittings or install new ones, make a plan and talk to a garden
lighting designer.
My approach to lighting is from a photographers point of view. That being decide
what assets are available (the afore mentioned hero’s) and which areas near the
house or further away are linked by paths or layered. Keep in mind that shadows
compliment light and give balance. Don’t over light, often less is more.
Many hi-end fitting’s now available include up, down, spike, wall, path, marker,
hanging, strip & water with led and fibre-optics. Not forgetting robust festive lights.
These connect via drivers/transformers between 240v power supply & 12v feed.
With the large choice available, anyone looking at garden lighting should keep in
mind a few basic principles: Buy the best fittings you can afford, use colour (˚k)
balanced lamps, make any scheme extendable to add to later. Consider wifi
controls, they are not cheap but you save on wiring and electricians time.
To sum up, its worth planning all outside lighting with care, schemes should have
daylight control be extendable and colour balanced. You can have fun by simply
replacing old halogen lamps with LED’s and adding festive lights to your garden.
Or you can go the whole hog using a garden lighting designer and qualified
electrician.
Enjoy outside space all year round.
Comment (1)
Pam Dee
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