Outdoor Lighting and Sources

As many of you already know… we have finally completed our entire front and backyard renovations. Sooo happy!! If you read my blog post when we first purchased this home, you may remember that I included a few photos of how the yards looked. (Click here to see more of that post – the difference is insane!)

Some before shots of the backyard. The shed was full of mold so that was first to go.

The overhang was rotting and not built to code and all that cracking concrete had to go.

We pushed the fence forward toward the front yard to open up the side more by our dining table – where our french doors are now! (They used to be windows).

 

When we began the renovation, we knew that we wanted to create an outdoor space that we could sit in both day & night. Even though the backyard is narrow and funky in shape, (because we sit below the neighbors to the left and backside of us) I knew that with the right design, I could make this backyard beautiful.

It was really important for us that the backyard feel like an extension of our home. So when designing the space, I always kept in mind how I wanted the yard to look at night. As you can see in the before photos, there was a tall retaining wall in the back – to break up that high ugly wall, we added a lower wall to sit directly in front of it to add depth and a layered effect for plantings. This allowed us more space (not only for plants, but for lighting as well!) Super important for me. 

When thinking about the kinds of lighting I wanted to select for my yard, I knew they had to give a cozy and warm feel. So often I find that people work hard on creating the interiors of their home, and forget about the back. The backyard/garden space is simply an extension of our home.. another room if you will. I decided that, like my kitchen where I made lighting a priority, I wanted to take the same approach for my outdoor space.

Remembering my Brother-in-Law’s (a contractor) advice with the kitchen – I looked for all my lighting to stay near the 2700 Kelvin level.  2700 Kelvin gives your space a warmth without appearing too yellow. Going any stronger than that makes a space appear too cold and bright. It was also very important that the lights be LED. LED is great for two very important reasons.. They use very little energy, and because we love running our lights every night, this will save us money in the long run. You also don’t have to change out lights very often when using LED lights. A huge plus!

Like my last home, I wanted my outdoor lighting to have that layered look. It features the outdoor space so much better with the different directions of lighting and the plants and flowers look even more beautiful when accented. Here is the step by step decision process on our lighting:

 

Step 1: Outdoor Lanterns

Before shot of the front of our home – with the older lanterns. 

When we bought our home a couple of years ago, the original lights from 20years ago were still hanging on the outside of the house. They were outdated, too small for the size house and not LED.. there also were not nearly enough. WE had to make a change.

Our new outdoor lanterns fit the space much better!

I changed out the existing lights and went big with lanterns from Lamps Plus.  I loved the classic shape of these lanterns and the warm glow that they provide. The lights are also dimmable which we LOVE… not all lights are.

Click here for the source

 

Step 2: Café Lights

I knew that I wanted white LED dimmable café lights everywhere along the fence line. They always manage to make a space seem so inviting and cozy – I’ve been in many yards where friends of mine have them strung from trees to the home, etc.. and I’ve always loved the look.

Knowing I was going to have a lot of different lights in lower areas of the garden, we decided to hang these on the highest point of the fence. The dimmable factor is really great also because now that we have so many different lights in the yard, we can turn them up or down depending on the mood!

We bought 3 strands of the café lights – it was more than enough for our yard as they are very long. And they were SO easy to hang.. Jeff used his cordless drill and little screws. The strands came with little “ready to hang” holes, which makes the hanging process simple. The plus for using little screws is that they are very easy to take out if you need to remove your lights.

Click here for the source.

 

Step 3: Flood/Spotlights

With the top of the fence taken care of, we knew that we needed lights that would shine brightly from the ground to feature the hedges and topiaries properly. One of the styles we purchased is a 60 degree bronze flood light from Lamps Plus.

I chose bronze to match the lanterns and the rest of the lights in the yard.. they blend in beautifully with the mulch. I made a conscientious decision to go high-end with my lighting because they last for years without any issues. I had the same in my last backyard and never regretted my decision, or the price.

Click here for the source.

 

Step 4: Large Spotlight/Wash Light

In our front yard, we have 5 larger hedges along the left side of the fence line that we needed wider spotlights for. The wash lights give the perfect amount of light for this otherwise dark space.

They are bronze as well to match the other lighting..

Click here for the link.

 

Step 5: Path Lights

I chose these pagoda shaped path lights because I had them in my last home and loved them. The shape is classic and beautiful.. they shine the perfect amount of light on the path as well.

I think it’s important to take the time and research what style path lights you like the best because they really do stand out when looking at the yard. There are so many different styles to choose from.. modern, contemporary, traditional.

Click here for the source.

 

Step 6: Wall Lights

The two travertine retaining walls were important features to light. If we had to have the walls I knew I needed to make them look as beautiful as ever. (WE had the same issue in our last backyard.. what are the odds?) The elegant travertine stone helped elevate the look but it’s the lights shining down them at night that really make the difference. They stand out so much more and give the backyard a gorgeous depth that I don’t think it would have had without the two level tiers being accented. Love them!

Click here for the source.

 

Step 7: Step Lights

When designing the front steps I knew that I would have to add stair lights underneath each step for safety. The best part? They also provide a gorgeous glow that leads everyone to our home. I love the way they shine at night. These are 6″ wide and bronze to match all our other lighting. They really accent the curve in the steps so beautifully.

Click here for the source.

 

I added a quick roundup with all of my lighting from Lamps Plus below… including the links & where to purchase. 

1. Kichler Shepard’s 27 1/2″H Bronze 2700K LED Path Light – Along the paths, we included these in both the front and the back to light up every inch. Love the shape & color. Click here for the source.
2. Radiax 3000K 60-degree 6.5 Watt LED Bronze Flood Light – We used these lights in both the front & back to light up various plants and hedges. Click here for the link.
3. Kichler 6 1/2″ Wide 3000K LED Bronze Wall Wash Light – We used these lights in our front yard to light up the hedges. Click here for the link.
4. Kichler Mount Vernon Outdoor Wall Light – Love our outdoor lanterns! Click here for the link.
5. Kichler Stainless Steal Transformer – We use this transformer to plug in all the lighting from our backyard! Click here for the source.

 

I hope you enjoyed this post & found it useful if you are thinking of renovating or changing the lighting in your backyard. It was a huge process for me – researching takes a ton of time but it was well worth the effort. A huge thanks to Lamps Plus for providing me with so much of my lighting.. thankfully they carried so many of the brands & lighting styles that I loved.

My backyard redo saga isn’t over yet – look for water features and a whole outdoor seating space to be added outside of my dining room soon! Everything has been ordered.. now the wait begins. :)

xo,
Kristy