The outdoor lighting industry does not really change much year on year, but as technology improves, so does the efficiency of lighting. Smart design then transforms a necessity into something stylish which can also be a feature on its own.
These are the areas where lighting has improved, re-designed and re-purposed for garden atmosphere and/or safety.
• Smart lights – an extension of smart homes – are often powered by apps and allow control of them remotely or on• Motion sensor lighting is a great solution for saving energy as it’s only used when needed. This is also a good option for lighting stairs.• Lights can add pops of colour in the garden. Although the majority of lighting frames come in the standard black or white, you can now get more colours to use as decor items, or with a quick spray paint you can get any colour available in a can.• Make a feature out of light. Think a line of designer lights along a pool edge or orbs of different sizes ‘tossed’ on a lawn. For ‘tossed’ read ‘carefully placed for maximum impact’.• Diffused wall lights have come into their own with a range of designs for any style of house. The idea is to light an area more for atmosphere than to make sure people can see where they are going, although that does come into it. They are a more muted glowing light with the beams facing upwards, downwards or both to display light patterns on a wall. Any downlights can also be used for lighting doorways for security.• Colourful lighting is another trend that is still around, despite the kitschiness of lighting that changes colours or comes in a really weird colour for lighting, like red. Underwater pool lighting in a different colour, like blue or purple, can make your pool even more vibrant than it is, but stay away from green tones or yellow which could make your pool look like an instant swamp.
