Outdoor Lighting Ideas

A property isn’t complete without the right outdoor lighting in place. Not only is outdoor lighting an important safety precaution, it can add to the look of the house and emphasize the depth and features of the yard. Together, these benefits can boost the curb appeal and value of the home.

The question is, then, how do you get started choosing the best outdoor lighting ideas for your property? We’ve put together the basics to help shed a little light on the possibilities of an outdoor lighting system to fit the whole property.

The Three Outdoor Lighting Types

Depending on the size of the property, planning the best outdoor lighting layout may seem overwhelming with so many lighting fixtures to choose from. It gets much easier when you break it down to the main function of the different outdoor lights to help steer the design process, and plan around the three main types of outdoor lighting. 

The three most important types of outdoor lighting include:

• Security lighting
• Accent lighting
• Landscape lighting

Security Lighting

No matter the neighborhood, security lighting should be a top priority. These lights provide bright, directed illumination to the outside of the house to make it safer to walk, to help discourage visits from wildlife, and can be paired with security cameras to help alert the household to threats.

Here are some outdoor lighting ideas for planning the most effective security lighting layout.

Garage Doors

Lights can be centered over the garage door, or placed high on either side of the door and angled to overlap the illumination and maximize the coverage area. Be careful when placing lights on the garage so they don’t cause too much glare when a driver is approaching inside a vehicle.

Garage door lights often include light fixtures such as security flood lights to cast the most light. Another option is outdoor wall sconces alongside the garage door when additional light fixtures are placed along the driveway.

Porch and Patio

Whether looking for the house keys in the dark, or waiting for guests who might not be familiar with the layout of the front walkway, overhead porch lights help ensure the safety of everyone who approaches the house. Look for porch lights that match or set the design of the rest of the porch decor, as long as the light provides clear illumination over the whole area.

Porch and patio security lights can include outdoor lanterns, or outdoor sconces. For a protected, high porch, consider outdoor pendant lighting.

Stairways 

Stairway lighting can be general overhead lighting, or low-placed lights that reduce the fall of shadows on the steps. Some lights may have louvered shields to direct the light down and prevent glare from the fixtures for people walking by.

For stairs, porch steps, or even just slight grade changes, look for stair lights to keep the lighting low, or look for post lights that can install onto hand railings and decks to keep the light below eye-level.

Walkways and Paths

For walking paths and sidewalks, use low to the ground security lighting. Fixtures that cast light directly down and out, from a low angle, are especially useful for leading from the driveway to the door, or around a pool or patio.

Path lights are often found as stakes and are easily installed in any landscape design. Pathway lighting looks best when arranged at staggered angles along each edge of the path or driveway so the light can overlap and avoid leaving shadows.

To light driveways, paths, sidewalks, or walkways, look for a favorite path light, or add the sturdy and classic style of bollard lights.

Yard Lights

High-intensity, overhead lights can be placed anywhere along a yard, side yard, driveway, or other lot at about 9 feet from the ground or higher to help evenly spread the fall of the light. Security flood lights are best around sheds and large side yards to maximize the light around larger areas, especially where there will be a lot of movement over an open space.

As you can see, security lighting is one of the most useful and important among outdoor lighting ideas. It improves the way you use your property and makes it safer for everyone. Look first to place security lighting where it is needed before moving onto the more decorative types of lighting, such as outdoor accent lighting or outdoor landscape lighting ideas.

Accent Lighting

With security lighting, the important thing to keep in mind is the functional value, to find a lighting solution that keeps everyone on the property safe. The look and design of the fixture is not as important as the task it performs.

For accent lighting fixtures, this priority can be reversed. Focus on form over function and look for an outdoor light fixture style that fits the design theme where it will be installed, and also creates the kind of illumination that complements the look. 

Some outdoor lighting ideas will fall under both security and accent lighting types, which allows you greater freedom to create seamless outdoor lighting ideas for backyards, side yards, and front entryways alike. When looking for the best outdoor lighting ideas for your property, consider accent lighting for these different locations around your home.

Fences

The fence may seem like an overlooked detail, but with the proper lighting a fence line can help make a yard seem larger. The right decorative lighting can even discourage the local wildlife from climbing on the fence.

Use post lights to mark the fence line at the property edge, lighting up the entire fenceline to make the yard more accessible at night. String lights have a similar impact when hung from fences, with softer lighting or different colors to play with the mood or add whimsy to familiar places.

Front porch and Doorway

The front door sets the first impression of your home, and the right lighting layout will help make it a good one. Balance the size and shape of the outdoor entryway light fixture against the look of the door and the size of the full porch to select the right style.

Layouts vary, but common doorway lighting ideas include:

• A single light, centered over the door.
• A high-mounted light off to one side of the door. 
• Two light fixtures, one on either side of the door to cover a larger area.
• Lights installed in the ceiling over the doorway and along the length of the porch.

There are many types of accent lighting fixtures appropriate for the front door and porch. Look for lanterns, wall sconces, and even outdoor pendant lights or outdoor chandeliers.

Patio

The back patio is often a year-round gathering place for family and friends, and should be both well lit for safety and able to meet the mood of any dinner party or BBQ. Patio lighting can also be used as decoration, incorporating lighting tricks such as multiple kinds of light sources in different colors. Look for lights that are bright enough to chase away shadows but soft enough to prevent painful glare on the eyes. 

A popular backyard patio lighting idea is to use string lights between the edge of the house and other high-mounted spots around the patio, such as awning supports, or decorative posts. There are many ways to use outdoor string light ideas, such as to line the fence with a string of lights to add a decorative element to an otherwise boring fence, or crisscrossed at angles to make a small yard appear bigger. 

vMultiple lanterns and other wall lights allow you to find and set a consistent style for a larger patio space. For patio spaces with a sturdy roof or awning, consider outdoor chandeliers or outdoor ceiling fans.

Pergolas and Decks

Whether it’s an open deck, pergola, or solid gazebo, the shady relaxation spots in the yard can benefit from outdoor lighting in order to be enjoyed at night. Look for path lights that suit the style to mark the way to the pergola, and step lighting for the posts near the entry if the floor is raised. Deck lights can be used outside and inside the space to elevate the look of the yard feature, and to make sure everyone can safely see to walk and move.

Inside, use string lights to accent the beams overhead. Outdoor ceiling fans can be installed to help keep the airflow going, day or night.

For a gazebo or pagoda, string the lights into the center of the round roof to create a unique and inviting visual statement. Lanterns along the posts can provide lighting inside and out. Outdoor pendant lights or chandeliers also create a unique atmosphere under the cozy cross beams of a pergola.

Pool

Lighting around a pool area presents a creative challenge because of the safety concerns, and because pools are meant to be an enjoyable, relaxing experience. The pool lighting layout calls for enough illumination to see by, without causing glare, over a very large, open area.

Outdoor string lights hung high over pools allow plenty of light to swim by, while creating unique light effects reflecting off the water. Specially designed pool lights provide safe access to the pool near the stairs or ladders, and the path to the pool can be lit by louvered path lighting to guide the way. Flood lights can be mounted in higher corners nearby, and it’s helpful to angle them away from the pool directly so the illumination can overlap without causing the surface of the water to be too bright.

Accent lighting is versatile and multitasks outdoors to double as a safety precaution. It can help shape the look of your home and add to the enjoyment of your yard, whether by adding to a certain mood, or by simply lighting the way. Have fun with the accent lighting layout to create a space that is enjoyable for your household and guests.

Landscape Lighting

Aside from the usefulness of pathway lighting, the primary purpose of landscape lighting is decorative. It helps to add depth and texture to the property at night by highlighting the features of the landscape that would be otherwise too dark to see. 

Many outdoor landscape lighting ideas suggest using path lights and post lights to emphasize the layers of the horizon line as seen from the house, to show the distance from the patio edge out to the fenceline. Spotlights can be used to splash light over trees or garden shrubs to create decorative statement pieces, or to highlight their height. Spotlights aimed at the house can emphasize particular architectural lines in the same way. 

There are some security benefits to landscape lighting as well. Reflecting light against the outside of windows minimizes the view from the outside looking in, and they can be arranged in ways that they don’t shine into the house directly. It’s also a good idea to have lighting around any posts, columns, or statuary to prevent injury at night.

For more specific outdoor lighting techniques that are used in landscape decoration, we’ve put together a few tips for choosing the right outdoor lighting.

Cost Efficiency and Maintenance Requirements

Outdoor lighting is invaluable to the use and appearance of your property’s outside spaces at night, and even during storms and hard weather. To find the right lighting solutions, there are a few additional considerations beyond just the usefulness and best locations. Every lighting fixture requires some form of power source, and the larger the property, the more difficult and involved an outdoor lighting plan becomes.

Here are the options when it comes to powering up the outdoor lighting:

• Battery powered fixtures are usually found in seasonal lighting decor, and may require new batteries once or twice a year depending on how often they are used.
• Solar lighting utilizes sunlight to power the internal batteries, and offers a reliable way to save on the monthly electric bill. It can be a little tricky to aim the collector panel as the seasons change, and it’s important to place these lights in sunny locations, but there is no additional wiring setup and they are a very DIY-friendly lighting solution for most yards. Path lights are often solar powered, and other outdoor solar lighting ideas include flood lights, lanterns, and porch lights that can be used anywhere around the property.
• Line voltage is a 120-volt power source that can be buried throughout the yard to get electrical wiring to landscape lighting. Line voltage offers a very effective, permanent lighting solution, especially for larger yards. It is protected from weather exposure but is still an active electrical connection, so line voltage should be installed and maintained by a professional electrician, regardless of the property size.
• Low voltage lines rely on power provided from your home electrical system, stepped down to use less electricity. These systems require installing transformers to reduce the amount of power that goes out to the lighting sources, and will require the appropriate cables to reach the lights. Take care to keep the cables and wires from being tripped on or tangled, to ensure everyone’s safety as they use the yard. 

Depending on the size of the yard, the costs can add up for outdoor lighting. Each power source presents its own set of advantages and disadvantages.  

It can be helpful to match the power sources with the other features outdoor lighting fixtures offer, such as their energy efficiency, or the use of motion sensors and photocells to turn the systems on and off at specific times or lighting levels. To learn more about choosing the best outdoor lighting features, read our outdoor lighting buyer’s guide.