Outdoor Living Space Lighting: How to Light a Patio People Want to Stay On|How Should a Patio Be Lit|Outdoor Living Lighting Done Properly: A Homeowner's Guide

Two sides, two purposes

The front of a property is a view. The patio is for people sitting in it. Everything changes once you are the one sitting under it. Nobody cares how the patio reads from the road. The only test is whether anybody wants to sit there.All of which adds up to one point. The front and the back rarely get solved by the same fixtures, and one light over the door is the usual result of not planning it. Two spaces, two separate sets of requirements to satisfy.

Glare is the enemy

A single glaring bulb will empty a patio faster than no light at all. Look at a bright source and everything beyond it goes black. Aim https://franciscohluz356.birchreport.com/posts/patio-and-outdoor-living-lighting-a-guide-to-evening-outdoor-spaces-how-should-a-patio-be-lit-start-with-how-you-use-it-patio-lighting-that-gets-used for light you notice the effect of but not the source of.

String lights are not a shortcut, they are a real technique

Strung lights above a patio create a ceiling where there was not one. A patio without them has no top to it. With them it reads as a defined space. Keep them soft, always.None of this is a question of spending more, since most of what separates a good patio from a harsh one is where things point.

How the pieces stack

Think of it as layers, not one switch. Overhead, underfoot, and accent. Separate switching matters more than people expect.

Restaurants and businesses have the same problem with higher stakes

A restaurant patio has to solve this every single night. Bistro and string lighting over an outdoor dining area makes the space usable and inviting after sunset. Nothing changes technically. The stakes are just higher.

The part that pays for itself

An unlit patio has a usable season that ends when the days get short. With light, the space is available whenever the weather is. In the Upstate there are plenty of mild nights well outside summer, and most of them happen after dark. The lighting is what converts them into usable time.

Insects

Anybody who has sat under a bright outdoor light in July has shared it with insects. Warmer light is less interesting to most insects, which conveniently matches what looks good anyway. It will not make a patio bug free, and that is not a claim worth making. But it is a free consideration when choosing the setting.Worth adding: whatever runs along the roof edge above should match, so the two do not disagree with each other.

Where to begin

Patio lighting has to be planned in the actual space, preferably at night. EverCrest Lighting designs and installs patio and outdoor living lighting for residential and commercial properties in Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, from Greenville. Consultations are free. Call (864) 252-1732 or email [email protected].

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