Outdoor lighting is an essential part of home design that can enhance the beauty, safety and functionality of your house and property. When designing outdoor lighting, it is important to consider the purpose of the lighting, the style of your home and the types of lighting used. Here are 10 tips to help you create a coherent and sensible outdoor lighting system:

1. Define the purpose of outdoor lighting – Do you want to highlight certain features of your home or yard, such as an outbuilding, a rock or architectural details? Want to increase safety by illuminating dark areas around your home? Or do you just want to create a warm and inviting route into your home?
2. Think about the style of your home – Outdoor lighting should complement the style of your home and landscape. Traditional homes can benefit from classic circular luminaires, while modern architecture can benefit from more minimalist and angular outdoor lighting.
3. Use different types of lighting – By combining ambient lighting with house lighting, and occasionally target lighting, you can create a versatile outdoor lighting scheme. Ambient lighting provides ambience and can be achieved with a variety of earthenware, spotlights or bollard lights. Spot lighting is necessary for certain activities, such as grilling or reading, and can be done in canopies with spotlights or in the garden, even with portable lamps. Lighting on the facade of a house is used to highlight features and add visual interest, and can be implemented with spotlights (eaves) or spotlights (from the ground) or even stripLED stripin the eaves.
4. Think energy efficiency – LED lighting is a popular choice for outdoor lighting because it’s energy efficient and long-lasting, and dimmable lights save even more.
5. Pay attention to placement – Outdoor lighting should be placed at an appropriate height. For example, spotlights should be installed high up to provide a wide coverage, while step lights should be low to the ground to allow people to walk up and down stairs safely. It is also important to keep lighting away from areas where it can be harmful, such as the driveway towards your car or from the windows of neighbouring houses. Use luminaires that illuminate downwards in garden bollards.
   As for heights, there is a wall light that illuminates up and down the exterior wall.
   The recommended height is 1600-1800mm from the floor, with the luminaire at eye level.
6. Use layers of lighting – Creating layers of lighting from ambient to accent lighting can add depth and interest to an outdoor space. The exterior lighting of the house by storey can be achieved, for example, with facade lights (walls) and roof lights (eaves/roofs).
7. Take into account the colour temperature of the luminaire – Different colour temperatures can create different atmospheres. Warmer white (3000-3500K) outdoor lighting is cosy and inviting, while cool white (4000-5000K) is cool and requires a truly modern look.
8. Use outdoor lighting to highlight features of your house or surroundings – Earthenware or spotlights can draw attention to a beautiful tree or architectural feature, while spots in eaves can create a cosy and intimate atmosphere on a porch. There is a place for both.
9. Don’t forget safety – Outdoor lighting can also serve a practical purpose by illuminating paths, roads and stairs to prevent accidents.
10. Use dimmers and timers – Dimmers and timers can help you control the intensity and duration of outdoor lighting, allowing you to create the perfect atmosphere for any occasion. The most popular smart device for outdoor lighting is the dimmer switch.

    

    By following these tips, you can create outdoor lighting that enhances the look of your home and meets your needs. Whether you want to highlight certain features, increase security or create a warm and inviting atmosphere, outdoor lighting is a versatile tool that can add value to your home.

Some other articles on outdoor lighting:

Outdoor lighting – Consider these points

Led outdoor lights for outdoor lighting

Many uses of Led strip

Led lighting expert

LedStore has been an expert in LED lighting and lighting design since 2010. We have our own product design, so our products are technologically state-of-the-art.

We focus on light colour temperature controlled and high colour rendering index lights. We do around 500 lighting designs for our clients’ sites. Read more here or order a lighting design

We offer a service of bespoke LED strips, i.e. custom-made LED strips in aluminium profile. Also installed. Did you know?
LedStore offers lighting design from 169 euros for the whole house!

Remember that we are always ready to offer our help to you along the way, by email (myynti@ledstore.fi) and by phone (045 251 4510). As always, feel free to share photos of your own projects on social media at ledstore.fi at Instagram and ledstore.fi at Meta. We love to see the cool things done by our LEDs, and it also helps to provide inspiration for those who are not sure about the power and awesomeness of LEDs. Did you know that we already have over 3500 pictures of our LED installations in our Gallery!

Photo gallery of Led lights to support lighting design:

Product gallery: Pictures of products in different installation locations

Indirect light: Indirect light in different spaces

Room-specific: Light in different rooms

References: Complete houses that have been photographed

Janne Halttu Owner

LedStore.fi entrepreneur who has built 4 detached houses and renovated several properties. 20 years of construction experience has given me a lot of knowledge about structures, and electrical work for several houses. I have worked with LED lighting for over 10 years. I am an expert in Led lighting, I write articles and I am a lighting designer. I often help clients with electrical and structural issues related to lighting and house construction.

See Full Bio

Home building Renovation Electrical installations Lighting Design