Outdoor LivingThe Blackwood TeamDecember 13, 2016Outdoor Lighting, Winter

Creating a Winter Wonderland Using Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor LivingThe Blackwood TeamDecember 13, 2016Outdoor Lighting, Winter

Landscape lighting is an excellent tool for customizing the evening atmosphere of your Adams Township, PA outdoor spaces and in winter the effect can be even more dazzling. In this post we’ll take a look at some of the ways you can using lighting to create a magical landscape using your existing outdoor lighting as well as a few additional touches.

Holiday season lighting

It’s impossible to talk about winter landscape lighting without including some seasonal touches. While the Christmas season might elicit images of garish decorations and going all-out on lawn Santas and model reindeer on the roof, lit up with the spotlight glow of a million fairy lights, a more subtle approach can be used to bring about the holiday cheer without the hassle of piles of tangled wires. Consider a stylishly dressed outdoor Christmas tree, dressing up one or two key features with string lights or lining your eves with LED tube lights.

Creating a Winter Wonderland Using Outdoor Lighting Adams Township PA

Taking advantage of bare trees

Although certain trees in your yard may lose their lush foliage, they can still contribute to a stunning aesthetic. Bare trees are the perfect features to apply decorative string lighting to, creating the effect of tiny glowing ice crystals forming on their branches. Bare trees also create some interesting silhouettes, making them perfect candidates for creative backlighting. Strategically placed spot lights can be used to create this captivating effect.

Using snow for effect

Light reflecting off snow behaves differently to that reflected from grass, dirt and stone, contributing to a more scattered, sparkling effect. This in turn makes for a softer, more ambient form of lighting even when direct lighting is used. Downward facing lights, ambient lamps and decorative string lighting are all enhanced by snow’s reflective qualities. These can be positioned to take advantage of this effect, lighting up the natural curves and soft pillows of fresh snowfall. To contribute further to snow’s reflective properties, colored lighting can be used.

Colored lighting

There are two possible approaches when it comes to colored winter landscape lighting. Warm colors can be used to create a festive atmosphere, with yellows and reds warming the winter landscape, making it appear more welcoming and cozy. On the other hand, cool colors - blues and purples - can be used to enhance and contribute to a more natural winter setting.

Brighter lights to beat the winter blues

Low levels of natural light during winter is often a source of gloomy moods and winter blues. To counteract this, brighter, warmer artificial lighting can be used to maintain a cheerful environment. Consider installing higher lumen bulbs for the winter to pierce the dimmer atmosphere. Lighting up driveway entrances, gate posts, walkways and landscape features will ensure an inviting home, even during the coldest months.

Avoiding winter hazards

Lighting up walkways for safety is important all year round, but especially so in icy conditions. Well-lit walkways and driveways are essential for avoiding patches of ice and snow when visibility is low. Be sure to offer users of your walkways plenty of downward facing lighting to offset winter hazards.

The Blackwood Team