St. Louis Outdoor Lighting: The Art of Nightscaping

Nightscaping:  The Art of Outdoor Lighting

There’s just something so warm and inviting about a house and landscape which is tastefully-lit during the nocturnal hours … something almost magical.  Outdoor lighting contractors have even coined a term which describes the art and science of transforming even the most modest of homes and yards into a place of enchantment after the sun goes down:  nightscaping.

Nightscaping involves the judicious placement of lights in or near bushes, trees and architectural features  for either aesthetic , safety or security reasons.  Sometimes, nightscaping  accomplishes all three of these goals at the same time.  For example, lighting up the outdoor walkways of a house improves their appearance, adds to their safety for pedestrians and enhances their security, as well.

There are as many different types of lights, and lighting schemes, as there are landscapes.  Here are just a few of the main ones:

Accent Lights

As their name implies, accent lights accent some feature of a home or landscape, with the goal of enhancing its aesthetic appeal.  Accent lights can line a sidewalk, light up a tree or silhouette a bush.  Accent lights can either uplight  a feature – meaning its light is aimed upward, or downlight  it, meaning its beam or beams are aimed either straight down or at a downward angle.  Each technique has its own strengths.  For example, uplighting will accentuate the height of something – a tree or side of a house, for instance, while downlighting will do just the opposite, making it seem smaller, more cozy, if you will.

­Floodlights

Again, a floodlight’s purpose is implied in its name – it floods an area with light in order to make it almost as well-lit during the night as it is during the day.  Sometimes this is done for security reasons; other times it’s done to extend the usability of the landscape – like when a tennis court is lit up at night, or a driveway is flooded with light so cars can maneuver on it more easily.

Security Lights 

Perhaps the most common security lights are floodlights, as noted above.  The most effective of these are motion-activated lights which only switch on when they sense movement.  Motion-activated lights can scare the , well, daylights out of burglars – and startle neighborhood dog-walkers too!

Perhaps your best course of action is calling a lighting contractor or local landscape lighting supply company to get advice.  You just might find they have some “illuminating” ideas about how to nightscape your home and yard.