Patio Lighting Ideas

You don’t need to stop using your patio when the sun goes down. Here are some patio lighting ideas to help you make more of your outdoor spaces.

When the evenings become cooler or darker, it’s only natural that people should want to head indoors towards the light.  We’re just like moths in that sense. However, the gardens can become magical at night. And it’s a shame to miss out on what Mother Nature has to offer just because we don’t see too well after dark.  Lighting your patio will transform your garden.  It will give you confidence and it will give you access to a whole raft of new experiences.  But what is the best way to illuminate your garden?  Here are some of my patio lighting ideas to give you food for thought.

Overhead Patio Lighting

I’m not a big fan of really bright patio lighting, I prefer instead twinkling or soft lights to create a restful atmosphere.  We are, after all, designed to start unwinding and get ready for sleep when the sun goes down. And I believe that bright lights can be overstimulating and upset those all important circadian rhythms.  

Festoon lights create a wonderful atmosphere without being too harsh on the eyes.  You will still be able to see where the furniture is, what you are eating or drinking and the expression on your companions’ faces – and really, that’s all you need for an enjoyable evening.

Combine festoon lights with white flowers such as cosmos. They look truly ethereal when lit. 

 

Fire Pits

I LOVE the ambient glow from a real fire.  Whether it’s an all singing, all dancing gas fired burner or a good old fashioned log fire, complete with the smell of camping.  It’s surprising how much light can be generated by a fire pit and it’s a beautiful soft  light too. And of course you have the added advantage of warmth.  Just right for those chilly spring and autumn evenings when you find yourself rubbing your arms and pulling your jacket just a little bit tighter over your tummy.

Recessed Lighting

One thing that is always good to be able to see when you’re outside, is exactly where you are putting your feet. You don’t want to turn an ankle as you accidentally veer off the patio into the flower bed. Neither do you want to trip on the steps.

I really like to use recessed lighting around the edge of a patio or deck.  The fittings are flush to the surface – so easy to clean and you won’t trip over them. They give off a really gentle light.  With these lights, you’ll still be able to gaze at the stars.

For steps, I thoroughly recommend eyelid lights.  They’ll illuminate the step, making them feel safer, but they don’t dazzle or detract from the beauty of the house and garden.

Spike Lights

I love, love, love to use spike lights in planters and beds to highlight planting arrangements. This is a good way to light your patio if you want to be enjoying the outdoors whilst staying indoors.

Wall Mounted Patio Lighting

Playing with light and shadow is all part of garden design and it becomes even more important for evening use.

Carefully placed lights around the patio and garden can completely transform a space and the way you use it.  I’m a big fan of wall mounted fixings that throw the light down and up.  I love the way they give out enough light for people to move around safely, without being harsh or intrusive.  Mounting lights on a boundary wall or fence mean they are unlikely to disturb the neighbours – and that is always an important consideration.  Not everyone wants their garden lit up like Blackpool illuminations.

Building Lighting Design and Lighting Plans Into Garden Design

As a garden designer and landscaper, I really do think that garden lighting should be carefully planned at the design stage.  It’s an important garden feature that helps define the way you use your outdoor spaces and it should be in harmony with all of the other features in your plot.  Retrofitted garden lighting somehow never seems to be quite the same as when the garden is designed with lighting in mind.

3D garden design can help you to visualise how your garden might look with patio lighting all aglow.  That way you can plan which type of fittings to use and where to place them.

From the landscaper’s point of view.  Project management should always include planning where and how to install things like control boards and wiring conduits.  By law, outdoor electrics should be connected up by a qualified electrician whose services almost always need booking well in advance.  So it’s better for all concerned if the lighting is planned and quoted for before landscaping work begins.

Patio Lighting for me is a no-brainer.  Whether it’s twinkling lights in trees flanking your seating area, ‘ceiling’ lights fitted in your pergola or recessed lights carved into your pavers – it’s the way to make sure you get best value from your garden.