But just because the weather has cooled off, you don’t have to abandon your outdoor living spaces.

In fact, some outdoor living spaces do great in the colder months.

Your outdoor living spaces are meant to be an extension of your home, so setting them up for colder weather is an absolute necessity.

Lighting outdoor living spaces becomes even more critical in the winter.

As the days grow shorter and darker, lighting outdoor living spaces is the only way to enjoy them.

If you’re like many homeowners, the sun has already set by the time you get home from work, so you need that extra light.

Lighting Different Types Of Outdoor Living Spaces

Too often, homeowners give up on outdoor living in the winter, but some spaces are great for cold weather.

If you have an outdoor fire pit or fireplace, roasting smores on a chilly night can be a great activity for family and friends.

Bring out some hot cocoa, and you’ve got yourself a magical evening.

It is becoming increasingly common for some outdoor spaces to be treated as outdoor rooms. This is a little different than a typical deck or patio.

These are usually covered areas with a solid roof and good protection from the elements.

The outdoor room is treated similarly to an indoor room, complete with furniture and lighting.

If you have an outdoor room, there is no need to abandon it in the winter.

Just like an indoor room, you can actually heat a well-sheltered outdoor room.

Hot tubs and spas are unique outdoor spaces that can be especially fun in the winter months.

Taking a hot soak on a cold night is a great way to relax and enjoy the winter weather.

With the right lighting, your spa can be a year-round attraction.

Lighting an Outdoor Fire Feature

Lighting outdoor living spaces in the winter is a great way to create a cozy atmosphere to enjoy your prized outdoor features.

If you have a fire feature, there is no reason not to light it up all winter long.

Of course, a fire is its own heat source, so cozying up to a great fire feature will keep you and your guests warm.

And although a fire feature is also a source of light, without additional lighting you would still be left mostly in the dark.

Lighting an outdoor fire feature has two main components, accent lighting around the hardscape and ambient lighting.

Just a little subtle accent lighting can bring out the full beauty of an outdoor fireplace, stone wall, firepit, or any other structure that is part of your fire feature.

Accent lighting on a fireplace and the attached hardscaping is best installed when the feature is being built.

However, it is possible to add lighting after the fact.

Night Vision Outdoor Lighting is experienced at installing both types of lighting.

An excellent place to start with fire feature accent lighting is with some well-lighting or hidden bullet lights.

These lights can graze your fireplace and bring out its natural textures.

In addition to grazing the fireplace, you can install recessed lighting under the fireplace mantle or under the lip of any attached walls for added light.

You may want to consider LED strip lighting for this purpose, too.

Ambient Lighting for Outdoor Living Spaces with Fire Features

In addition to the accent lighting, you will need some ambient light so that you and your guests can see the area around them and navigate safely at night.

Ambient lighting around a fire feature can be done with strategic downlighting.

As with most ambient lighting, the downlighting around your fireplace should focus on the light more than on the fixtures.

Find tall trees, gazebos, or even parts of your home where you can hide an unassuming fixture.

It’s important to use a few fixtures from different angles to avoid deep shadows.

Another option that can be used in place of downlighting or in combination with it is a few feature fixtures.

These are decorative fixtures that enhance the design of your outdoor space as well as adding light.

For a more traditional look, carriage lanterns can be installed on columns or at edges of walls.

For other styles, just switch up the fixture style.

Adding a feature fixture, or a few fixtures, is a great way to add interest and design while you’re lighting outdoor living spaces.

Lighting Outdoor Rooms

If you have a relatively well-sheltered part of your outdoor living space, you may consider creating an outdoor room.

Outdoor rooms are often built in places with a solid roof, like a covered porch or pavilion, or on the ground level under a deck.

If you start to think about the outdoor room as an extension of your indoor living space, lighting these outdoor living spaces takes on a whole new meaning.

You can use indoor-style fixtures, as long as they are rated for damp use (in a well-protected area) or wet use (anywhere rain might reach).

Outdoor rooms in the winter can actually be heated.

Tall standing outdoor heaters like the ones you may see in restaurants or bars can be purchased for home use.

They are not prohibitively expensive, and even one or two can really warm an outdoor room in the winter.

In addition to your heaters, outdoor rooms can be outfitted with ceiling fans.

Just like you would indoors, set your outdoor ceiling fan to turn the opposite direction in the winter to direct warm air back down into the living space.

Lighting outdoor living spaces that are used as outdoor rooms can be lots of fun.

You may want to consider standing lamps, table lamps, or even a chandelier.

Just make sure that everything is rated for damp or wet use.

Lamps should have heavy bases that help keep them in place on windy days.

Any cloth-type lampshades should be made of waterproof, stain-resistant, fade-resistant materials.

There are many styles available and Night Vision Outdoor Lighting can help you find the best fixtures for your style and taste.

Lighting a Spa or Hot Tub

There is something luxurious about settling into a steaming hot tub on a cold winter evening.

So if you have a spa or hot tub, you definitely want to have the right lighting to make it available any time of day or night.

The main concern with lighting outdoor living spaces around a hot tub is safety.

Any time you are around water, even as shallow as a hot tub, it is vital that you can clearly see the edge of the water.

Slips and falls can be painful and dangerous.

Also, it is very likely that you will be moving around the spa or hot tub area barefoot.

You need to be able to see what’s on the ground to avoid stepping on something unpleasant or stubbing a toe.

As we’ve mentioned about pool lighting, well lights are a great fixture for lighting around the deck of a pool or hot tub.

These lights are completely recessed into the ground.

They can create a lot of light without becoming tripping hazards themselves.

Some hidden downlighting is also a great way to shine a broad light on the area around your hot tub or spa.

When lighting outdoor living spaces around a hot tub, it’s important not to overdo it.

Part of the luxury of sitting in a hot tub at night is enjoying the nighttime.

Only install as much lighting as you need to be safe.

A great way to take the resort-style luxury up a notch is to install underwater lighting inside the hot tub.

Underwater lights can create a magical glow in and around your hot tub.

They can also make the water much easier to see, helping to prevent accidents.

They also reduce the need for ambient light while you are in the hot tub.

Professional Lighting For Outdoor Living Spaces

Lighting outdoor living spaces is a great way to bridge the indoors and outdoors areas of your home.

Even in the colder winter months, you can enjoy your outdoor living areas at night.

With a little professional help from Night Vision Outdoor Lighting, you can get it right the first time.

Your outdoor living spaces will look and feel like a high-end resort with just the right lighting for each space.

Contact us today to find out how you can start lighting your outdoor living spaces like the pros.

Conclusion:

As winter sets in, it doesn’t mean you have to abandon your outdoor living spaces.

With the right lighting, you can create a cozy and inviting atmosphere to enjoy your outdoor areas year-round.

Whether you have an outdoor fire feature, an outdoor room, or a hot tub, proper lighting can transform these spaces into magical retreats during the colder months.

Seeking professional help from experts like Night Vision Outdoor Lighting can ensure your outdoor living spaces are beautifully illuminated, creating a seamless blend between your indoor and outdoor areas.

FAQs

How can I make the most of my outdoor living spaces in winter?

You can make the most of your outdoor living spaces in winter by ensuring they are well-lit with appropriate lighting fixtures. This will create a cozy and inviting atmosphere, making it comfortable to enjoy activities like roasting smores around an outdoor fire pit or soaking in a hot tub.

Why is outdoor lighting crucial for enjoying outdoor living spaces during the shorter days of winter?

Outdoor lighting becomes essential during winter because the days are shorter, and it gets dark early. Without proper lighting, you won’t be able to fully utilize and enjoy your outdoor living spaces during the evening hours.

What are some outdoor living spaces that work well in colder weather?

Outdoor fire pits, fireplaces, covered outdoor rooms, and hot tubs are some outdoor living spaces that work well in colder weather. They provide warmth and comfort, making them perfect for enjoying the outdoors even during the winter months.

How can I light an outdoor fire feature for a cozy ambiance during winter evenings?

To light an outdoor fire feature, use accent lighting to bring out the beauty of the fireplace or surrounding hardscaping. Consider well lights or hidden bullet lights to graze the fireplace’s textures. Additionally, provide ambient lighting with strategic downlighting or decorative feature fixtures for better visibility and a warm, inviting ambiance.

What lighting techniques can enhance the beauty of an outdoor fireplace or stone wall?

Accent lighting is ideal for enhancing the beauty of an outdoor fireplace or stone wall. Installing well lights or hidden bullet lights to graze the textures of the structure can create a visually appealing effect, highlighting the unique features of the fireplace or wall.

How can I ensure the safety and visibility around my outdoor hot tub or spa in the dark?

Safety and visibility around your outdoor hot tub or spa can be ensured by using well lights or hidden downlighting to illuminate the area around the deck. Also, consider installing underwater lighting inside the hot tub to create a magical glow and make the water more visible.

What type of lighting is suitable for outdoor rooms that are exposed to the elements?

For outdoor rooms exposed to the elements, use indoor-style fixtures that are rated for damp or wet use. These fixtures can withstand outdoor conditions while providing a cozy and welcoming atmosphere similar to indoor rooms.

Are there specific outdoor lighting fixtures suitable for winter conditions?

Yes, there are outdoor lighting fixtures designed to withstand winter conditions. Weather-resistant fixtures made from durable materials can endure the cold, rain, and snow, ensuring your outdoor lighting remains functional and safe throughout the winter.

Can I create a resort-style ambiance in my outdoor living spaces with professional outdoor lighting?

Yes, professional outdoor lighting designers can help you create a resort-style ambiance in your outdoor living spaces. By using a variety of lighting techniques and carefully selected fixtures, they can transform your outdoor areas into luxurious retreats, even during the winter months.

How can Night Vision Outdoor Lighting help me design and implement the perfect outdoor lighting for my living spaces?

Night Vision Outdoor Lighting can provide expert assistance in designing and implementing the perfect outdoor lighting for your living spaces. Their team of professionals can assess your property, suggest suitable lighting techniques, and install high-quality fixtures to create a stunning outdoor environment that you can enjoy year-round.

Think about it. You have spent time and money making the exterior of your property look beautiful.

You’ve painted your home, spruced up your landscaping, and carefully cared for all the plants.

But if you lack outdoor lighting, you are only getting half of the value of all that hard work.

Why let your work disappear at night?

Landscape and exterior lighting is a natural choice to let your home or business look its best all day and night.

But before you start planning out your design, there are some outdoor lighting terms to know.

Types Of Lighting

Outdoor lighting has a lot of terms to know. But don’t be intimidated.

Really, we just want you to be familiar with the different types of lighting.

There are so many great ways to light your home or business.

So let’s go over a few of our favorite options.

We hope that by the end you will be not just more knowledgeable, but more inspired!

Up-Lighting

This type of lighting is basically what it sounds like.

Lights are placed on the ground or at the base of a structure and pointed upwards.

Usually, this is done with bullet lights, narrow-angle lights great for highlighting a specific feature.

One common use of up-lighting is for lighting trees.

If you have a particularly interesting tree, place two lights about 8-10 feet from the base of the tree, coming from opposite angles.

The lights will illuminate the trunk and the underside of the canopy. Having two lights prevents deep, stark shadows.

Moonlighting

This is an appealing technique for residential landscape lighting.

Everyone loves the feel of sitting outside on a moonlit night under a silvery full moon.

Of course, the moon isn’t always full, and the skies aren’t always clear.

So we have artificial moonlighting to create the effect of moonlight all night long, every night.

To create this effect, lights are placed high up in trees or on a tall structure.

The wide-angle lights are placed in special fixtures that minimize glare and focus the light downward.

This prevents the appearance of a glowing tree canopy.

To complete the effect, use bulbs in the 4000K range. That is bluer than the usual 3000K used for most outdoor lighting.

It gives the effect of what we think of as “silvery” moonlight. Read our post all about artificial moonlight here.

Silhouetting

This effect is great for highlighting unique shapes, like an interesting tree or garden feature.

To create this effect, it is necessary to have some structure that will serve as the backdrop.

A wide-angle light is placed between the object to be silhouetted and the structure.

A spread light can shine light in two directions, toward the structure and the feature.

You can also use two wash lights; one pointed toward the structure and the other toward the feature.

When light comes from behind the feature and the wall behind them is light with a gentle wash, you can see sharp silhouettes.

Shadowing

This is the opposite of silhouetting.

Instead of placing the light between the feature and the structure, the light is placed in front of the feature facing toward the structure.

This creates deep shadows on the structure.

It is a great way to generate interest and depth on a large, flat wall.

If your feature is a tree or something that will move in a breeze, this is an especially appealing effect.

Grazing

This is a great way to highlight stonework or other exciting texture.

To create this effect, lights are placed at the base of a wall, very near to it, and shined upward.

The light grazes the wall and creates shadows that accentuate the texture of the wall.

This is an excellent effect for large walls, pilasters, or low walls used in hardscaping.

Path lighting

This is one of the most essential pieces of outdoor lighting.

Whether you are lighting your home or your business, people need to be able to see to get around.

Path lights are first and foremost to help people see where they are stepping and to avoid obstacles.

However, path lighting should also be a design element.

Unlight many lighting fixtures, path lighting fixtures are almost always highly visible.

So choose a style that complements your home or business.

To learn more about path lighting, try this blog post .

Cross lighting

This is less a specific type of lighting than a technique used with many types of lighting.

Cross lighting just means lighting from opposite angles.

This prevents deep shadows from forming on the side opposite the light.

It is very useful for lighting many features, or for wash lighting your home’s or business’ facade.

But be careful not to overdo it. Shadows should be thoughtfully included in your design.

Erasing all shadows with cross lighting would make your design look too bright, flat, and uninteresting.

Spotlighting

This is great for highlighting a particular feature in your landscape.

It can be used for a flagpole, garden art, or a water feature, for example.

In a commercial setting, it may be used for a sign you want everyone to see.

This technique is often used in combination about cross lighting for larger features.

Down-Lighting from Structures

Down-lighting is a great way to light a large area.

Patios, entrance ways, decks, and seating areas can all benefit from down-lighting placed high up on a structure or in a tree.

Downlighting can also be used close to a structure in a way similar to grazing.

This is great for lighting pillars and other vertical structures, or even as an alternate way to highlight textures.

Down-lighting from Hardscape

This is a slightly more subtle type of down-lighting.

When you have hardscape features like walls, fireplaces, or benches, you can install small lights under a rim or lip of the structure.

This will highlight the texture and make the feature stand out.

It also provides a little extra light to make it easier to find your way around the hardscaping.

Pool Lighting

This includes lighting around the outside of your pool as well as the lighting in your pool.

Lighting in your pool should really be done by someone who has particular skill in underwater pool lighting.

For the area around your pool, you can get a little creative.

This is a fun area of your home. Well lights are great for the deck area around the edge of your pool.

They provide light and make the edge of the pool highly visible, an important safety feature.

Because they are installed flush with the ground, there is no tripping hazard.

Underwater lighting

This is somewhat different from pool lighting.

Underwater lighting is for water features like fountains, ponds, or even birdbaths.

At night, a body of water can disappear or look very flat.

Adding some lighting from below the surface of the water can add depth.

The effect of the water spreading the light around can also be a design feature.

In some cases, you can even use colored lights for a fanciful glow.

Just be judicious with your use of color, or your water features will start to look like a Vegas hotel.

Washing

Wash lighting creates a backdrop for any other lighting you will have on a structure.

It’s a wide-angle floodlight that gives a soft glow to the facade of your home or business.

It prevents deep shadows and makes sure that your more directed lights don’t end up looking like a patchwork of light in a sea of dark.

It can also be used for hedges, low walls, or other features with a lot of surface area.

Professional Outdoor Lighting Design

We hope that this rundown of lighting terms has informed and inspired you.

If you’re ready to try some of these effects, contact us to schedule your free consultation.

We are happy to talk about how we can best use these techniques on your home or business.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, outdoor lighting is a valuable investment that enhances the beauty of your property day and night.

Understanding different lighting techniques can help you create a stunning outdoor environment.

Consulting with professional outdoor lighting designers can optimize the effects and make your property shine.

FAQs:

What is up-lighting in outdoor lighting?

Up-lighting involves placing lights on the ground or at the base of a structure, pointing them upwards to highlight specific features like trees or architectural elements.

How does moonlighting create a moonlit effect?

Moonlighting recreates the soft, silvery glow of moonlight by placing lights high up in trees or tall structures, with wide-angle fixtures directing the light downward.

What are the benefits of using silhouetting in landscaping?

Silhouetting adds depth and drama to your landscape by placing a light between a feature and a backdrop, creating sharp silhouettes that highlight unique shapes or interesting trees.

How can cross lighting improve outdoor illumination?

Cross lighting involves lighting from opposite angles, preventing deep shadows and creating a well-balanced illumination, particularly useful for larger features or architectural facades.

What is the purpose of spotlighting in outdoor design?

Spotlighting is used to draw attention to specific features, such as a flagpole, garden art, or water feature, making them stand out in the landscape.

How does down-lighting from structures enhance outdoor areas?

Down-lighting from structures, like trees or tall fixtures, can illuminate large areas such as patios, decks, or seating spaces, providing a soft, diffused glow.

What are the advantages of using path lighting in outdoor spaces?

Path lighting serves both as a practical element for safe navigation and as a design feature, adding a welcoming ambiance and complementing the overall aesthetic.

How does underwater lighting enhance water features?

Underwater lighting adds depth and visual interest to water features like fountains and ponds, creating a captivating effect and allowing enjoyment during nighttime.

What is the concept of washing in outdoor lighting?

Washing involves using wide-angle floodlights to create a soft glow on vertical surfaces like building facades, hedges, or low walls, minimizing deep shadows and providing a subtle background for other lighting elements.

Why is professional outdoor lighting design essential for achieving the desired results?

Professional outdoor lighting designers have the expertise to create a well-balanced, effective lighting plan that highlights the best features of your property while considering safety, functionality, and energy efficiency. Their experience ensures optimal results and a visually stunning outdoor environment.

However, one outdoor lighting technique in particular has been recently growing faster in popularity (for good reason) than most, mainly due to its incredible visual appeal and way in which it can perfectly accent your landscaping. We’re talking about submersible lighting.

What Is Submersible Lighting?

While submersible lighting isn’t, by any means, a new concept, it’s just now starting to become more prominent when it comes to including it in your typical landscape project. What is submersible lighting?

Simply put, submersible lighting is any lighting that has the ability to either go underwater or is meant for highlighting a water feature; creating an incredible effect that enhances certain elements of your landscaping such as pools, waterfalls and outdoor fountains.

Types Of Submersible Lighting

Submersible lighting boasts a myriad of different variations when it comes to size and style of lighting fixtures.

You have spotlights, which are typically used to showcase elements like fountains and waterfalls or standard floodlighting to highlight entire bodies of water. At the end of the day, the style of submersible lighting you choose for your landscape project comes down to what elements in particular that you want highlighted.

You can even enhance or customize this style of lighting by ordering colored light filters. The possibilities are endless.

Where to Find Submersible Lighting in Atlanta

If you’re an Atlanta resident or business in the market for outdoor lighting in your area, you’re bound to come across NightVision Outdoor Lighting.

The locally owned and operated company has been the leader in top quality outdoor lighting installations in Atlanta since 1999 and specialize in a wide range of outdoor lighting techniques, including submersible lighting.

NightVision always gives you the best price and offers endless options for lighting fixtures. Not to mention, their outdoor lighting professionals will design a lighting system that fits your yard perfectly in order to enhance your landscaping and create a wow-factor for years to come.

Give them a call or contact them today on their website for a free estimate on your next outdoor lighting project!

We hope you’re enjoying our ‘Bright Ideas’ blog. To learn how NightVision Outdoor Lighting can enhance your next outdoor lighting property, visit our Projects page; or, to see what our customers are raving about, visit our Testimonials page.