Led Landscaping Design Ideas
26/04/09 23:30 Filed in: garden lighting
Decide which kind of LED lights you want to use: solar-powered or low-voltage powered lights. Solar lights have no cost of operation and can be located most anywhere, but 12-volt lights can be more dependable and a dawn to dusk timer more precise.
Diagram the garden, walkways, features of interest and other areas you plan to light and think about what kind of lighting effects you want to create. Stroll through your neighborhood or leaf through a landscape magazine for inspiration.
Use spotlights to draw attention to trees or flowers and to create silhouette effects that cast light behind the object. Choose "up lighting" at the base of walls, trees and other objects for a more dramatic lighting effect. Choose "down lights" to illuminate wide areas and walkways and to increase security. Remember fixtures labled as 'spots' have a much narrower, focused beam-width than 'floods'.
Decide which theme or style of light fixture will complement each area of your landscape. The style of your home should influence your choice. For instance, a Craftsman home may look just right with Arts and Crafts-style lighting, whereas a Victorian-style home will look better with more ornate, antique-style lighting.
Look for areas where you may want to use colored LED lights to add a different feel to the landscaping. Many of the latest Ultra-Bright LEDs have a cool white color, or choose Amber LED fixtures for a warmer, softer look.
Buy LED lights with one or two diodes for a gentle, moody glow - or more LED diodes for brighter lights and for safety and security needs.
Diagram the garden, walkways, features of interest and other areas you plan to light and think about what kind of lighting effects you want to create. Stroll through your neighborhood or leaf through a landscape magazine for inspiration.
Use spotlights to draw attention to trees or flowers and to create silhouette effects that cast light behind the object. Choose "up lighting" at the base of walls, trees and other objects for a more dramatic lighting effect. Choose "down lights" to illuminate wide areas and walkways and to increase security. Remember fixtures labled as 'spots' have a much narrower, focused beam-width than 'floods'.
Decide which theme or style of light fixture will complement each area of your landscape. The style of your home should influence your choice. For instance, a Craftsman home may look just right with Arts and Crafts-style lighting, whereas a Victorian-style home will look better with more ornate, antique-style lighting.
Look for areas where you may want to use colored LED lights to add a different feel to the landscaping. Many of the latest Ultra-Bright LEDs have a cool white color, or choose Amber LED fixtures for a warmer, softer look.
Buy LED lights with one or two diodes for a gentle, moody glow - or more LED diodes for brighter lights and for safety and security needs.
