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Great Outdoor Lighting Projects to Put the ‘Style’ in Your Lifestyle

Posted by Gillespie Electric, Inc. on Monday, June 20, 2016

Fair weather is finally here! Spring has sprung, summer is upon us. It’s that time each year when we are eternally grateful to shed our hermit-hibernate status and exuberantly embrace the great outdoors. That yard though!? Yeah. You know.

You finally get outside and work your tail off getting past the clean-up of storm debris, recycle-bin blow off, the uphill neighbor’s downhill trash migration, and whatever the dog drug in the yard over the past five months (please wear gloves and use hand sanitizer).

Then you step back and take a prideful look at your property with the setting sun positioned perfectly behind your house… your phone raised high, ready to shoot that envious social-media cover photo. And a dim realization comes to fruition.

The sky looks awesome, but my house does not!

What to do?

Shed some light on the problem!

Proper strategically-placed lighting and other outdoor electrical enhancements can perform wonders to not only enrich the outward appearance of your house (and instill envy in your friends and neighbors), but also to put some ‘style’ in your lifestyle. Outdoor lights make a major impact on the atmosphere of a landscape and increase the time that you and your family will enjoy in your outdoor living space.

Here are some top recommended outdoor lighting and electrical enhancements to illuminate your lifestyle and give your house some serious neighborhood ‘swag’.

Alluring Lanterns, Captivating Cupcake Lights, Bombastic Beer Bottle Runners

First, let us set the record very straight. We are most certainly not advocating anyone leaving your Christmas lights out past January (hoping my neighbor is reading this in June)! That being said, modern LED Christmas lights are easy to use, mostly safe, and very versatile for more than the Christmas season. A resourceful mind (or one adept at Pinterest cruising) will find dozens of great ideas to make your outdoor gathering a bit brighter, by adding colorful and creative conversation pieces with very little cost and effort.

• Make a beer or wine bottle chain of runners to lite a path or adorn a table or railing top (plan and prepare in advance to make sure you save up enough empty bottles ;)
• Cut a small ‘X’ into the bottom of decorative paper cupcake liners and insert over Christmas lights. Repeat for every light on a string and hang string above, meandering through tree branches or ceiling rafters
• Paint old coffee and soup cans varying vibrant colors. Punch holes in the sides in various patterns then insert a light or candle in each can and place on flat surfaces Keep in mind that these are temporary, one-night applications in most cases. Proper care and cleanup is required after everyone sobers up.

Welcoming Wall Sconces and Inviting Entrance Lights

A well-lit landscape should have both functional and decorative light fixtures. Wall sconces on the house provide adequate illumination for entertaining. Properly placed and effective entrance lights provide safety and security at night and highlight attractive entry doors.

Floodlights, soffit lights and wall-mounted fixtures are effective options for lighting up an entryway. Experiment with upward and downward lighting to produce different dramatic effects.

Pleasing Path Lighting and Appealing Accent Lighting

Walkways, paths and driveways are key areas to illuminate so you can navigate through your yard safely at night. A series of path lights lead the way and serve as a design element in this landscape.

Accent lights highlight focal points in a landscape, including architecture, trees, plants or water features. This type of light fixture can be installed at ground level and directed upward, or installed higher up and directed downward to simulate moonlight.

Charming Outdoor Kitchens and Pizza Ovens

But seriously, we’re now done fooling around with the JV squad ideas. It’s time to get serious and Go Pro. More power!! Take your chef prowess outdoors and create the gourmet cooking area you have always wanted. Entertaining your family and friends is always more relaxed and fun when you can do it outside.

Outdoor cooking stations are increasingly popular for homeowners. Entertaining outdoors requires less fuss than setting up a formal dining room with china and crystal. And while extra efforts are required to mitigate mosquitoes, at least you won’t have to worry about getting wine stains on your white tablecloth or anyone using the wrong fork for their salad!

Opulent Outdoor Bars

Adding an outdoor bar is an excellent way to make your outdoor life more fun and entertaining. At the end of a busy day, it gives you a good place to relax with a drink or two. When throwing a small party on a weekend it’s the perfect attraction for neighbors and friends to relax and enjoy time together. Let your imagination run wild! Any number of materials can be used to build your bar from stone to wood to steel… whatever compliments your style and personality. Keeping it under a porch or pergola roof permits you to add a wide variety of electronic enhancements including appliances, televisions, video games, amazing audio, and much more!

Amping up your outdoor game is paramount to solidifying your neighborhood social swag (should you truly care about such vanity). However, the power of electricity is nothing to mess with on your own! Please always hire a licensed, experienced, reputable electrical contractor to do the heavy work on any outdoor or indoor electrical project so that you never have to be concerned with code compliancy or your family’s safety. Then, let your creative juices flow, pop a bottle top or two, relax and enjoy!

Categories: Residential Electric

Tagged: Intelligent Lighting, Accent lighting, Landscape lighting, Entertainment lighting, Driveway lighting, Pathway lighting, Outdoor lighting, Residential lighting, Entrance lighting, Dramatic lighting, Electrical Contractor, Yard lighting, Patio lighting, Deck lighting, Outdoor bar, Outdoor kitchen