14 WONDERFUL Outdoor Lighting IDEAS to Illuminate Your Space

Making the romance and magic of interior mood lighting available outdoors is more than just a current craze; it is an age-old tradition that is in keeping with the integrity of our out-of-doors spaces.

From moonlight picnics to table lighting for dinner parties, there can be no question that lighting is at the heart of magical experiences in the spaces of the home without walls.

Whether you want to create an outdoor party or dining space in your backyard, garden or patio, there are a number of creative ideas for outdoor lighting that can help you add sparkle in the moonlight.

Here’s a resource that provides 14 creative outdoor lighting ideas to make your backyard, garden or patio as magical in the night.

1. String Lights Delight

String lights, or as they’re more commonly known, ‘fairy lights’, are the little touches that catch the eye and appeal to our sense of childhood magic.

Strung across or between trees, or woven across a pergola or among the pickets of a fence, they create a starry effect across your outdoor rooms.

For a natural, more rustic look, go for large globe lights, but for a more delicate, magical effect use the smaller LED strings.

White and warm-toned lights are the more traditional choice, but coloured lights can bring a sense of festivity.

2. Lanterns for a Rustic Touch

Make a more provincial statement with lanterns, which come in many styles, from Moroccan-themed to traditional paper lanterns and are available in plug-in, battery or candle varieties and make great focal points, sitting on tables, hanging from ceiling hooks or gently nestled in the garden to light the way.

3. Spotlights and Floodlights

Some are more utilitarian, like spotlights and floodlights that can be placed to illuminate certain architectural details, garden beds, or pathways.

Placed higher, they can also ensure security and safety by illuminating pathways and alerting you to plants or other obstructions in your yard.

Placed in layers, these fixtures are the outdoor versions of entranceway uplighting, and can completely change how your home looks at night.

4. Tiki Torches

Tiki torches today are in every style and fuel, and infused with citronella oil, they keep bugs away too.

Warm, low flickering flames create a relaxed island mood, and the soft light and easy ambience contribute to a cosy, intimate fireside.

5. Embedded Path Lights

Embedded path lights provide a svelte aesthetic as well.

These low-profile fixtures are imbedded flush with the ground, illuminating pathways and safely guiding you along your way.

They’re a great option to achieve a clean, modern aesthetic and are durable enough to be exposed to a fair amount of foot traffic and lawnmowers day in and day out.

6. Solar-Powered Stake Lights

Eco-aware homeowners can make use of solar-stake lighting — lights with no wiring that cast a soft ambient glow.

Stick them into the ground where they will receive full sun and, as the sun starts to set, they will automatically turn themselves on.

Solar lights come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You can even buy lights that change colour and brightness to suit the occasion.

7. Under Table Lighting

Romanticise your al fresco dining with under table lighting.

You can get LED lights that stick to the underside of tables, bars or umbrella canopies for a subtle halo effect on the table below, which is not only dreamy from a distance but also practical when you need light in the places you’ll actually be using it while hosting.

8. Upcycled Garden Luminaries

An easy yet budget-friendly way to introduce a bit of sustainable soft lighting to your garden is by upcycling old glass jars or bottles into candle luminaries.

Stick a combination of sand and candle at the bottom of a jar that you’ve given a thorough clean, and have them dangling from trees and posts around your place and they’ll certainly lend a soft understated glow for a low-key get-together.

9. Fire Pit Focal Point

A fire pit brings not only heat and a venue for stories, but also an active element that brings a prehistoric and communal element to your outdoor lighting scheme.

There are many fire pit designs to choose from, from built-in to portable.

You can cover the space around, and perhaps the pit itself, in heat-resistant materials and create a seating area for an entertaining zone.

10. Twinkle Twigs

Trees or large shrubs can serve wonderfully as a porch, or even an outdoor wall, artfully wrapped in fairy lights or more stylish twig designs to conjure a magical, foliage mood that works most anywhere.

Light glancing through leaves and off branches can cast dramatic shadows that are most effective from a distance.

11. Tankless Water Light Features

Finally, if you have a pond or a water feature, consider setting up tankless water lighting – these have no wires and are mounted at floor level, offering LED outputs that provide a beautiful silken sheen if used with clear or coloured water.

They are low energy and provide light that reflects deeply, and used in combination with the sound of running water provides a calm and restful place to sit.

12. Smart Lighting Systems

Smart outdoor lighting systems are not for the faint of heart. For the homeowner who wants to Sync It All, being able to adjust your smart outdoor lighting through your smart device and voice commands is key.

That includes the colour and brightness of your lights, as well as their scheduling.

Great for those who like their outdoor lighting to enter into a greater network of smart home systems.

13. Seasonal and Occasional Themes

Tone your outdoor lighting to a season or special event, for example decking your home in orange and purple for Halloween, multicoloured Christmas lights for the festive season or soft pastels for an Easter gathering.

By altering the ambience with different coloured lighting, and changing its placement and pattern, you can reconfigure your outdoor setting to adapt and complement your mood, and the seasons, on an ongoing basis.

14. Motion Sensor Lights for Added Security

Besides this aesthetic decoration (and some fun), outdoor lights can also be used for entertainment purposes.

For an extra sense of security, you can install motion sensor lights.

These lights remain off, and switch on suddenly when there’s some kind of movement detected.

The sudden flood of light can scare off any intruders, and helps to ensure that you keep everyone safe. They’re an essential addition to any modern home, and because they only switch on when needed, they can help to save energy.

Affordable Outdoor Lighting Ideas

There are plenty of ways to give your outdoor space that turbo boost without depriving your wallet. Here are my best ideas to aid you in your night-time makeovers.

DIY Solar Jar Lights

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• Materials Needed: Mason jars, solar light kits, glue.
• Process: Add solar lights to the lids of the jars; cover them. Leave them in a bright area to charge.
• Benefits: Eco-friendly, no ongoing electricity costs, and adds a charming glow to any area.

String Lights

• Varieties: Globe lights, fairy lights, LED mini lights.
• Installation: Wrap around trees, drape over bushes, or hang from fences and railings.
• Advantages: Versatile, creates a warm and inviting atmosphere, and easily customizable for any space.

Repurposed Lanterns

• Materials: Old lanterns, LED candles or low-voltage bulbs.
• Idea: Revive vintage or unused lanterns by fitting them with new, efficient light sources.
• Charm: lends character to the area around your garden or patio.

Reflective Lighting

• Technique: Put reflector (pond or mirror) downwind. Put light on the reflector and shine light on special features!
• Effect: Doubles the impact of lights with minimal additional cost or energy use.
• Tip: Ideal for small spaces to create depth and interest.

Illuminate a Path

Adding Lights for Enhanced Visibility and Drama

• Solutions: Solar path lights, some LED stake lights, or low voltage landscape lighting would be a way to illuminate your place.
• Placement: You can place these lights either side of your garden paths or walkways. You won’t believe how it will look! Purpose: well, this is layer three stuff, basically, so this is gonna make my path bright enough at night, so when I am walking around here, it’s real safe.

• Aesthetic Advantage: In addition, its presence will emphasise and dramatise the beautiful plants and foliage for which your garden is designed, making your garden paths a night-time wonderland.
• Extra Tips: If you want the effect to be more subtle, space the lights further apart. Prefer more impact? Pull them closer together or use lights that have an intensity control to play with the effect. Your garden. your way.

Line the Edge

Creating Ambient Borders with Tea-Light LED Candles

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• Option: Battery-powered tea-light candles – your cozy little light friends.
• Location: Let’s line the patios or decks with them.
• Making you feel good: They will sheen up your life the way a real candle would, and won’t burn a hole in your carpet either.
• Advantage: Lending itself to our beautiful wooden outdoor areas where we don’t want to fly with fire.
• Cute Factor: Pop these candles into pretty little see-through holders: your evenings will never look quite the same.
• Ease of Use: You don’t have to worry about the mood being ruined by the wind, or having to buy batteries all the time.

Add Bistro Lights to Railings

Enhancing the Mood with Soft Lighting

• Option: Grab some low voltage LED bistro lights.
• Location: Wrap them around the railing of your deck, patio, or balcony.
• Purpose: A great source of ambient light for an outdoor hang and an excellent mood-setter for a weekend chill session.
• Plus: These LEDs are so much more soft than standard overhead lighting, just the right amount of cuteness.

• Visual Attractiveness: I can imagine welcoming friends and family into a homely atmosphere or simply kicking back after the sun has gone down.
• Practical: Super energy-efficient, and they come with solar charging! Light up automatically at dusk after soaking up the sun all day.
• Installation Tip: For the look of being on the straight and narrow, space the lights evenly along the railing. It looks file and the light spreads uniformly throughout your outdoor space.

Types of Outdoor Lighting

Lighting is the final essential element in a good outdoor design. It is much more than just the near-invincible night-lighting that enables you to navigate a patio or deck. It can actually set the atmosphere and deliver real magic to your outdoor space.

Here are three kinds of outdoor lighting to consider when you want to turn a deck, patio or garden into a magical retreat.

Ambient Lighting

Ambient lighting ─ or general lighting ─ sets a soft glow across the space and helps to create an inviting atmosphere. This is the foundation for your outdoor lighting plan.

Lanterns, post lights and string lights can be used to create an ambient setting, which makes your outdoor space cosy and comfortable for hanging out with friends in the evening.

Ambient light also makes it easier and safer for people to navigate the space at night.

Task Lighting

Ambient accent lighting sets the tone, while task lighting sets the stage so that you can grill, cook on a patio or dine outdoors with enough light to see, as well as to stay safe.

Deploy spotlights, deck lighting and pendant lighting to target your surroundings and make sure you don’t have to put the fun in when it gets dark.

Accent lighting

Safe and Secure Installation of Your Outdoor Lighting

By mounting your outdoor lighting properly, you can avoid any accidents and make sure it can last for a long period of time.

Here are some friendly instructions and tips for you to set up your porch lights properly:

• Call in a Pro: If you have a configuration or multi-step setup with wired or streaming electrical components, it’s a good idea to check in with a licensed electrician to make sure your tackling the job safely, and with everything to code.
• Use Outdoor-Rated Fixtures and Bulbs: Make sure the exterior lighting fixtures and bulbs are rated for outdoor use. This is a general rule of thumb to follow – outdoor fixtures and bulbs are built tough in order to withstand the weather – rain, snow or scorching sun.
• Make sure all connections are watertight 💦: electrics can short-circuit or give you an electric shock if they come into contact with water. Wired lights should definitely be kept safe from moisture by installing a weatherproof electrical box along with a conduit.
• Stay true to the instructions: Do what the manufacturer really wants, like shown in the instructions, including how to install them, how to wire them up, and any first steps before you use them.
• Every Thing Should Be Tied Down: Make sure everything is secure so it doesn’t blow away or be knocked over with the wind or by animals. Secure your porch or garden structure using anchors and screws that are appropriate for wood, brick, or concrete.
• Mind the Overhead Power Lines: Always check for overhead power lines before setting up any high fixtures or climbing ladders to avoid catastrophe.

• Install Automatic Shutoffs and Timers: Always make sure you have some form of automatic shutoff features or timers to make sure your lights aren’t shining all night long. Not only will it save on energy use, but sometimes it will also make your bulbs and fixtures live longer.
• Checkups: Every now and then, look around your exterior lighting for any kind of damage or wear – and change the bulbs when they have burnt out. Secure everything nicely and make sure that nothing will block the lighting.