4 Outdoor Lighting Ideas to Highlight Water Features and Other Focal Points in Wheaton and Hinsdale, IL Areas
Here are 4 outdoor lighting ideas to highlight water features and other focal points in Wheaton and Hinsdale, IL areas. These lighting ideas let you capture the beauty of your landscape when the lights go down at night, and extend your enjoyment of your landscape. This could mean capturing a similar feeling like the drama or serenity that’s on display during the day; or creating a different look altogether. Keep reading for some tips on enhancing your nighttime outdoor lighting plan and adding reflective surfaces to create visual interest.
Tranquility
Nothing captures tranquility like the gentle light from a reflecting pool. That feeling is the ebb and flow of swaying grasses and the shimmering sounds of leaves. The pool itself will evoke that feeling by reflecting the colors of the changing sky - from the deep reds of sunrise and sunset to the sharp blues of mid-day. Even the gentle greys from clouds are amplified by the still water.
Strategically placing outdoor lighting allows you to create a serene space seemingly illuminated from natural sources. By blending the light sources into plantings like under vegetation and along vertical lines will enable a natural ambience that complements the unique nature of your home and landscape.
Look-at-Me Drama
Placing outdoor lighting inside a reflecting pool will have the opposite effect of serenity. It will remain relatively peaceful except on windy days when the tiny waves on the surface will cause the light to reflect and dance. This is because water remains an excellent transmitter of light and even submersible lighting sources will still wash the entire landscape in a bath of light.
The same goes for a swimming pool. The submersible lighting creates stronger reflections and still washes the landscape in light, which will become much more lively as swimmers interact with the light sources.
Placing lights outside of the reflecting pool will also have some advantages. Illuminating a nearby tree underneath will cause an interesting reflection of the tree onto the pool, which will dramatically change the feeling of the landscape. To go even further, change the color of the bulbs to evoke strong emotions and add timers that rotate through several different colors.
A Little of Both
Having the option to choose between serene and dramatic lighting options will greatly enhance adaptability to different moods. By choosing to have more control over the lighting, you can expand the capabilities of your landscape to enhance the overall feeling of outdoor living.
Waterfalls
Waterfalls have all the potential to be enhanced by outdoor lighting. Whether lighting is pointed at the face of the waterfall or from behind, there is endless opportunity to make waterfalls shine at night too. When lighting is pointed at the face of the waterfall, it gives opportunity to show the feeling of the waterfall as a whole. Lighting the waterfall from behind the water allows the rock formations to shine as water dances over the top.
Planning for Summer
You don’t want all the glorious summer fun to end once the sun goes down. By installing outdoor lighting throughout your backyard, you can increase the safety of your outdoor living space while inspiring a feeling of joy in everyone. Start planning for next summer now so that you can keep the fun going throughout.
