How Landscape Lighting Can Transform a Backyard in Rochester Hills and Macomb Township MI Areas

HOW LANDSCAPE LIGHTING CAN TRANSFORM A BACKYARD IN ROCHESTER HILLS AND MACOMB TOWNSHIP MI AREAS

Many Rochester Hills and Macomb Township, MI, area homes have beautifully manicured yards that look amazing in the daytime but fade into the darkness at night. The right landscape lighting can transform a backyard into a space that is usable long into the evening.

Related:ADDING WARMTH AND COMFORT TO A LANDSCAPE DESIGN WITH LANDSCAPE LIGHTING AND 2 OTHER FEATURES IN SHELBY TOWNSHIP MI

Where do you start?

One strategy you can use to guide your landscape specialist to understand what you love in backyard landscape lighting is to assess your landscape honestly as the sun sets. Which spaces would you most love to have some illumination? Are there dark spots that you would like to be lighted? Is there a space in your backyard that you want brighter lighting, such as a basketball half-court?

Another helpful strategy can be to find pictures of backyards where you love the lighting to show precisely what you love about those outdoor spaces. Seeing concrete examples of how you like a backyard to be illuminated can give the landscaper some excellent ideas for your yard. 

Patio 

Many homes have patios that can feel like an afterthought, a required space but not one that is truly functional for your needs. As you discuss lighting with your landscape expert, explore the ways that they can expand the patio to make it into the outdoor living space that you want. 

Often just replacing the back windows with sliding French doors can be a first step in creating an indoor/outdoor living room that can make your home feel more spacious. Along with durable and gorgeous stone flooring, the landscape service can add much larger sconces for extra lighting, along with illuminating the perimeter of the patio for an inviting ambient glow. 

Incorporating lighting that can be dimmer or brighter depending on your preference can be accomplished with subtle spotlights and an eye-catching chandelier. 

Walkways 

Illuminating the walkways can not only add a delightful glow to your backyard, but it can also increase the safety of those who are navigating the walk back and forth from another space in the landscape. Since the low-level lighting can be hidden in the landscaping that surrounds the walkway, there are no wires or fixtures visible, and the light is a soft glow with no harsh glare. 

Trees and Plants

Highlighting the trees does not necessarily mean that all of them must be illuminated as you can choose to light the mature trees, or the unique ornamental trees, or the row of trees that forms the boundary of your backyard. Adding spotlights to the base of a tree can emphasize the bark's texture while illuminating the lower branches. In comparison, lighting that is nestled in the higher branches can mimic the look of dappled moonlight filtering through to the ground. 

Cross-lighting is lights that are placed a distance from trees and shrubs to create depth and interesting shadows. Wash lighting creates an effect that looks like you took a lighted paintbrush and washed the tree or shrub with a very soft light. 

For the best overall effect in landscape lighting, plan to have plants and trees in the illuminated mix and include interesting architectural features such as columns, corbels, stone walls, and fencing. In this way, your landscape can become a varied combination of gorgeous details with the right lighting.

Related: CREATING SAFE OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES WITH A SMART LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND LANDSCAPE LIGHTING PLAN IN TROY, MI

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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