Outdoor lighting options are anything but standard.
Story by Tracy Dickinson
Featured in Summer 2024
Outdoor living has always been a part of American life, but these days that’s far more than a concrete front stoop or a backyard picnic table. A home’s outdoor space is an extension of the home, with everything from dining to full kitchen, quaint front porch to grand entry.
Wherever your space falls on that spectrum, the right outdoor lighting can transform it from so-so to so much more.
Function
Before focusing on a fixture’s design, experts advise addressing its purpose first and the location.
“Quite often, the exterior lighting options are either determined or limited by the electrical contractor before we even get involved in the selection process,” says Echo Lighting’s Erin Huisman. “If a homeowner has a specific vision for how they want to use outdoor lighting, it’s important for them to have that conversation with their builder or remodeler early in the planning process.”
The lighting plan is dependent on the electrical installation, so determining ahead of time what you want to feature or where you want outdoor lighting can make selection easier when the time comes. “We always encourage extra wiring around the home’s exterior,” says Huisman. “That way, as they add landscaping or exterior features that they want to highlight, the wiring is already in place.”
This is also a good practice at the back of the home so that the space is wired before any outdoor living spaces are added. Kline Electric’s Jarrod Gray says, “Lighting recommendations are often based on home style, and we’ll offer recommendations based on the owner’s preferences. Lighting does so much to accent the home, so we work with our clients to make sure they’re creating a lighting design that does the most for their outdoor space.”
Features
As with interior lighting, the options available for exterior lighting have grown exponentially in the past few years. Not only have design options grown, but so have the available features.
“Nearly everything is available with LED now,” Huisman says, “and the LED diodes are like grades of diamonds. They vary in color and quality, and the options are almost limitless.”
Some manufacturers even offer products with changeable Kelvin colors. The tone of the lighting can be changed to suit the natural light as seasons change or to best enhance the home’s exterior.
“The biggest change in outdoor lighting is its versatility,” Gray says. “You can tailor-make a space, especially with LED lighting, by customizing the color, the pattern, the brightness. Our Jellyfish® product, which most people describe as ‘permanent Christmas lights,’ are installed under the soffit and have endless options and variations.”
“You can tailor-make a space, especially with LED lighting, by customizing the color, the pattern, the brightness. Our Jellyfish® product, which most people describe as ‘permanent Christmas lights,’ are installed under the soffit and have endless options.”
Jarrod Gray, Kline Electric
The lights are not only dimmable and programmable. Each diode can be controlled individually so that homeowners can create their own customizable lighting patterns.
“Nearly everything new in the residential market has come from commercial applications,” Gray says. “As new products are developed in that market, manufacturers and designers are finding ways to apply them to the residential market, too.”
One of the features he’s anticipating will grow in popularity is lighting installed directly in concrete. “We’re seeing this in office and commercial spaces where lighting is embedded in the concrete to light up walkways or to enhance exterior features,” he says. “There are a lot of ways this could benefit the residential market in the future, too.”
Form
Although can lights remain the most common option for exterior-entry lighting, design experts say they’re seeing a growing desire for fixtures that offer both function and style.
“Especially at the front entry, it’s important to create that welcoming space, so dressing up the lighting goes a long way,” Huisman says. “More new homes are using oversized front doors with higher ceilings, so it makes it possible to add more of a statement there.”
Decorative exterior fixtures, too, are usually available with dimmers and with different finishes to complement exterior hardware and trim.
“A lot of homeowners like the look of a hanging fixture to dress up the front entry, but it’s important to consider all the ramifications of that choice,” Huisman says. “If the ceiling isn’t high enough, a hanging fixture might make the space feel cramped. And with the high winds we can get in Iowa, that can be a challenge. Also, if there’s a chandelier-style fixture just inside the front entry or hall, those two hanging fixtures end up competing and neither one ends up as the focal point.”
At the back of the home as outdoor living spaces have expanded, homeowners are looking for ways to light those areas effectively as well. “This tends to be more functional,” Gray says. “Homeowners want the space to be lit well enough to use it safely but not to feel like a brightly lit room.”
Both Huisman and Gray say they typically recommend lighting this space much like landscape lighting as highlighting rather than focal point.
“One way we’ve done this for clients is to place the fixtures much like landscape lighting, but to use uplighting rather than downlighting,” Gray says. “Landscape lighting is usually low to the ground and directed up at the feature you’re highlighting. In outdoor living spaces, we place the fixtures much the same way, but they stand higher from the ground so the light can be directed downward, softening the light and creating more of a backdrop.”
Huisman says, “Manufacturers are offering products for outdoor applications that are as stylish as the ones for interior design. There’s always a huge selection of black finishes, but we’re seeing more natural-look fixtures, such as wicker, rattan, and finishes that coordinate with patio furniture.”
Whether you’re lighting a backyard living area, creating a welcoming front porch, or looking to highlight your home’s exterior features, the options available for outdoor lighting are anything but standard. And they can be customized as your taste or the seasons change. •
Resources
- Jarrod Gray Kline Electric
- Erin Huisman Echo Lighting
