4 Considerations for Landscape Lighting

Lighting is a critical aspect of any landscaping project, but for many homeowners, it ends up being an afterthought. However, to ensure a pleasing result, it’s best to be proactive about planning. Consider the following tips: 

1. Choose a lighting contractor that understands your landscape. Besides checking for proper licensing, make sure you hire a lighting contractor that’s familiar with plant life and landscape design. If a contractor can’t name the plants in your landscape, they probably shouldn’t be lighting it. 

2. Get your lighting contractor involved early. Most people don’t call a lighting contractor until their landscaping projects have already been completed, but getting yours involved early (right after the design phase is ideal) will give them a head start on planning. 

3. Base lighting fixture choices on the right criteria. Choose a fixture based on what it does, not what it looks like. It doesn’t matter if a fixture looks nice in the daylight because you’re only going to see the light it emits when it’s in use. 

4. Remember, subtlety is key. A key tenet of landscaping lighting is not to show the source of light, just the light itself. That’s why subtle sources like up-and-down lighting are generally a better choice than wall sconces, which can cause glare and detract from the overall ambience.

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