Elevating Curb Appeal with Modern Landscape Lighting

Creating the Ideal Atmosphere and Mood with Light and Shadows

The best way to demonstrate the power of light is to drive down your street at night. With your attention on the houses in your neighborhood, you’ll notice a stark contrast. Some homes will look like fortresses, lit in bright white lights chosen for security purposes. Others are barely seen, with maybe a porch light on. And then there are those that stand out: intentional landscape lighting that an expert conceived and executed. 

Elevating curb appeal with modern landscape lighting requires an artist’s touch and knowledge that shadows are as important as light. It’s the interplay of these two elements that adds intrigue, depth, and mystery.

Here, we’ll explore how thoughtful landscape lighting design enhances the overall look and feel of a home’s exterior while improving safety and usability. 

SEE ALSO: 4 Reasons You Should Have an Outdoor Lighting System This Summer

More Than Seeing

Because of light's essential role in providing a 24/7 lifestyle and the ability to see in the dark, it’s often relegated to functionality. Everyone wants the entryway and stairs to be lit in a bright white light that ensures safety.

But that’s the outdated approach before LED lights and lighting manufacturers began creating subtle outdoor fixtures that emphasize beauty. In the right hands, lighting intersects form and function—a decorative element and a practical tool. It’s about so much more than seeing; it’s about creating atmosphere and mood while aligning with the intended use. 

Lighting Techniques

Outdoor lighting transforms everyday spaces into captivating scenes that evoke emotion. Some lighting fixtures and techniques used to create dimension and depth while telling a story include: 

• Pathway: Pathway lights have become part of a home’s aesthetics, as beautiful as the light they shine. When well-executed, this light invites you on a journey while improving visibility and safety.

• Hanging: Hanging tree lights are a form of downlighting. Strategically placed, they create the effect of moonlight—natural, magical illumination that creates a captivating sensory experience and forms a layer of ambient light. 

• Accent: Accent lighting brightens your essential landscape and architectural features. Uplighting can create a focal point, such as your favorite tree or a unique feature of your home. Limbs and leaves reveal intricate patterns and dimensions, available only with artful lighting enhancements. In-ground well lights and bullet lights achieve this effect.

• Wall Washing: Wall washing creates a sense of openness by bringing a soft, even wash of light across a wall or other surface. When done right, it can resemble water.

• Security: Instead of using floodlights, lights with softer illumination are distributed throughout the property, preventing the dark holes intruders look for when searching for a place to hide.

• Shadowing: Shadowing creates two objects—the illuminated one and its shadow. 

Advanced LED Outdoor Lighting

Today’s LED outdoor lighting is warm, inviting, and cost-effective. Instead of creating a bright white light with excessive glare that makes you look away, these lights bring you in and are changeable depending on the space and use. 

Extending Your Living Space

Beyond curb appeal, advanced landscape lighting extends your living space, seamlessly transitioning from indoor to outdoor living. Well-designed outdoor lighting can create a tranquil outdoor oasis, an elegant retreat, a tropical vacation-like setting, or a place where parties last long into the night. 

Lighting Made Smart

Smart lighting helps you manage your beautiful evening setting. With the tap of a button, you can turn on the patio, pool, garden, landscape, or entryway lights or illuminate your entire space. One tap creates the ideal aesthetics for the moment when it's time for alfresco dining, a pool party, or simple relaxation. 

One At a Time

At Luxe AV, we know the power of light and the timeless memories our clients make in their outdoor areas after dark. Our lighting designers and automation experts customize each outdoor lighting project, with no two ever being the same. People’s lifestyles, properties, and vision blend together to create a safe passage after dark that’s stunningly beautiful. 

Are you ready to elevate your curb appeal with modern landscape lighting? Contact Luxe AV below.