Lightscapes

Expanding Nighttime Living Space

When it comes to lighting outdoor spaces, most tend to think of simply illuminating the exterior of a structure or property. One of the most underestimated aspects of landscape lighting is that it can actually extend living space physically as well as visually.

Boundary Lighting

Another practice for expanding nighttime living space is boundary lighting. Many people have a fence or shrub line that represents the end of their property line. This section can be illuminated with a small output wall wash fixture. When done properly using photometrics, more than one light can be overlapped to create a continuous wall of light that will subtly show the edges of a yard.

Plan for the outside as well as the inside

In the process of designing a new lighting plan, remember to include what will happen on the inside of the house, especially in the main areas that look outward. If the living or dining room is in the back of the house, shifting the balance of the entire lighting plan to better represent the most trafficked area may be a desire of the homeowner. Opposite to this, if the bedroom is in a particular area that has a lot of windows, the design may require extra care not to put too much light into that area.