If the very center of your outdoor living space sits the patio, this will be an integral piece of your outdoor lighting design. A patio should not necessarily be illuminated with one or two techniques but several complementary lighting strategies that layer together to get the most out of the space. With the right design, you’ll have a safer, more functional, and more beautiful patio and landscape. Here are four areas of your patio that could benefit from outdoor lighting in the Sterling Heights, MI, area.
Walking Surfaces
The patio is ideally a safe space that accommodates everyone. The walking spaces need to be fully accessible day and night. This requires that every inch of the walking spaces is adequately lit, without shadows and with lighting that encourages depth perception.
The best way to illuminate the walking spaces of your patio and surrounding landscape can be by installing a series of hardwired low-lying walkway lights along the edges of the pavers. This focused light will use a relatively low amount of energy to more effectively illuminate walkways, patios, pool decks, and any other outdoor living space. The other advantage to using low-lying light fixtures is that you’ll never have to deal with harsh shadows or glare such as you would with a flood light.
Seating Areas
Once your friends and family are all gathered in your outdoor living space, they’ll be looking for a good place to sit down. Lights in this area could set the mood for great conversations.
One way to set a welcoming tone for a seating area is via string lights along the beams of a beautiful pergola. The soothing and low intensity light will dazzle and pull your favorite people into the comfort of your backyard.
But, again, don’t stick to just one strategy. If you want to change up the mood by making the seating area darker, you’ll want a way to turn off the string lights without casting the space into darkness. A few strategically placed walkway light fixtures or lights embedded into masonry will give just enough light for safety without disrupting the magic of the night atmosphere.
Outdoor Dining Areas
If your outdoor dining space is separate from the outdoor kitchen (i.e., it’s not bar seating but a table) you’ll want some ambient light in the space so that people can see their food. If the space is close to a privacy wall, use that to your advantage with sconces or other beautiful light fixtures. Otherwise, walkway lighting can create a festive atmosphere for dining.
The Outdoor Kitchen
The outdoor kitchen will need a lot more lighting than seating or even dining areas. Task lighting embedded into the backsplash is a great way to illuminate countertops and cooking surfaces without overwhelming the space.
Masonry structures can be the perfect location for outdoor lighting fixtures and provide some of your best opportunities to bring beauty and function to your nighttime landscape. Consider embedding fixtures into masonry to protect the light fixtures themselves and declutter the surrounding spaces by removing the need for stand-alone fixtures. Whether you need bright task lighting or soft ambient light, masonry can be used as a key part of your lighting strategy for the outdoor kitchen.
