4 Outdoor Lighting Ideas for Every Season in Burr Ridge, IL
Your outdoor lighting scheme in Burr Ridge, IL, can encompass anything from simple candles to intense spotlights, depending on your desired outdoor living design. While some forms of lighting are geared toward making outdoor living more convenient and safe, other lighting techniques simply create drama and interest within a landscape. The lighting you opt for will not only depend on the size of your outdoor living space and the energy sources you have available, but it will also be determined by the mood and aesthetic you wish to create. Here are a few landscape lighting ideas to enhance your outdoor living space.
Lighting for Character
There are various creative ways to add character to your landscape. One example includes hollowing out logs or tree stumps and fitting bright lights into them so that soft light filters through their many cracks. Line a pathway with a collection of glowing tree stumps for a fairytale-like look and feel. They may look like ordinary logs during the day yet they come alive at night.
You could also have a string of battery-powered fairy lights bundled into a glass sphere and suspend from a low-lying branch for a magical atmosphere. You’ll want these string scattered throughout the landscape for a full effect. An uplight system that subtly shines on your hardscape features is another way to evening charm to your landscape.
Romantic Lighting
String lights overhead can simulate stars in areas where light pollution obscures the night sky. Enjoy romantic “starlight” dinners in the comfort of your own backyard by creating artificial constellations. These lights also pair well with low, round fire pits that bring you back to vacations spent around the campfire. It can create the impression that you are cozied up at a campsite far from home. Fire pits and fireplaces are also excellent sources of light and cast a warm glow that fosters an intimate ambience.
You could consider crafting a chandelier that hangs from a tree branch or pergola and consists of small glass containers, each one housing a tea light or larger candle. It would be a homey touch. For soft glows and warm lighting, landscape experts can help you devise a lighting scheme that’s not obtrusive and doesn’t require any hefty lifting on your part—where all you’d have to do is switch on the lights to set the mood.
Lighting for Safety
The aesthetic appeal offered by landscape lighting is just as important as the safety it grants anyone navigating the area. Keeping walkways well-lit is particularly essential as they are frequently traversed and can present hazards such as lifted pavers. Consider framing your walkways with short, downturned lights that keep the pavers well-lit without casting an unpleasant glare.
Exotic Lighting
Certain lighting options can be used to incorporate exotic elements into your landscape. Metal lanterns, for example, can display customized grillwork resembling a Moroccan aesthetic. They can also be acquired in painted canvas or paper with oriental style. Glass lanterns stained a particular color can give an outdoor room a bohemian look and feel. These lanterns could be strategically scattered along the edge of a staircase or hung overhead.
