Best Ways to Light Any Outdoor Space

In any garden, lighting is important. It helps you create ambience, allows you to spend more time outdoors in the evening, and makes sure your have safety and security. However, different types of outdoor lights fit best in different types of spaces. For example, you don’t want hundreds of lights in a tiny garden. 

We will show you the best outdoor light options for your space in this article, whether you want to highlight areas of your garden, use the space for entertaining, or add safety-focused lighting.

Best Ways to Use Lighting in Small Gardens

One of the best ways to use lighting in a small garden is to use low and floor-level lights to uplight your space. Using small spike lights can help you create this effect, as they will add a low-level light which will illuminate your garden space. If you don’t have a lawn area in your garden, a post light can create the same effect, as some post lights can be placed on the ground or in gravelled surfaces.

Another way you can light your small garden is by using outdoor hanging lights such as festoon lights or fairy lights. These lights are best placed immediately outside your home, as they can give the illusion of depth in a small space. 

Our final tip for lighting a small garden is to use layers of light to highlight features around your garden. This can be done with a mix of outdoor wall lights, hanging lights, and spotlights, and you can use this at different levels to create an interesting feature for your space.

Best Ways to Use Lighting in Large Gardens

With large gardens, you may think that your options are endless, and while you do have more options, you also don’t want to add too much lighting. Highlighting different areas is a good rule of thumb for lighting large gardens.

A good idea is to create focus with your lighting and structures in your garden. For example, hanging lights from a pergola or gazebo can highlight the area of the garden where you may spend most of your time. If you have a terrace or porch, then adding porch lights is also a good way to highlight the area that will most likely be used for entertaining.

If you have a large garden that is home to a number of trees, you can also highlight these. We would recommend highlighting the best trees rather than every tree, because you don’t want to over light them. Using low level uplights and spotlights can help you light up your trees without adding any lights to the actual trees, and they can create a focus piece for your garden.

Another idea for lighting a large garden is to use step lighting. This can not only help with creating focus areas of your garden, but it is also important for outdoor safety. Again, use low-level lighting to light any steps you may have in your garden.

Finally, you will get the best results by using a variety of different light types in your large garden to really bring the space to life.

Lighting your Driveway and Front Garden

As well as lighting your back garden, you also need to consider the lighting options for the front of your house, as they are just important as your entertaining lights in your back garden.

The first aspect of lighting that you may want to consider for the front of your garden is your door number light. These can be useful for delivery drivers, guests and anyone else visiting your home, so making sure that you have a good door number light is functional as well as stylish.

Motion sensor lights are also a great idea for the front of your home, as they provide some outdoor light without being intrusive to the rooms at the front of your house. You can use these to accentuate your home exterior, your driveway, or even if you have a grander entranceway.

Another great way to light the outside of your home is through using driveway lights. These are helpful for any visitors to your home as well as helping you to see where the best place to park your car is. These lights are also important for safety, as they can highlight any steps.

Finally, the other light type we would recommend for the front (or back) of your house is outdoor wall lights. These lights can be used to really illuminate your home’s exterior, and provide great views of all your outdoor spaces. 

A Full Range of Outdoor Lighting from CGC Interiors

Whether you are lighting a small space, a large space, or anything inbetween, how you choose to dad outdoor lights to your area is important. Our range of outdoor lighting options are perfect for both your front and back garden spaces, and we can help you light your space for entertaining, safety, or even just spending time outside with your family.