Landscape Lighting Design

Advantages to Outdoor Lighting Systems

• Useable Outdoor Spaces: Lighting the area around your home allows you to utilize spaces that would not be available otherwise. You will be able to use the patio or deck or yard after the sun goes down. Outdoor barbeques can last long into the night, as long as the bugs stay away of course. Minnesota summers never seem to last as long as we would like them too. By adding lighting to your landscape, your time spent outdoors can be even longer.

• Highlighting Features of Your House and Landscaping: As you can see in the picture examples we have all over this page, an outdoor lighting system can be utilized to focus attention on specific elements of your landscape. You can highlight the beautiful stone steps or the intricate home design. Trees and plant beds look completely different when the spotlight is put on them.

• Curb Appeal at Night: Curb appeal is something that many of our clients in Minneapolis and St. Paul ask us about. We solve many curb appeal concerns with plantings and landscape design on the house. However, those additions are not as effective at night. A landscape lighting system makes that curb appeal noticeable when the natural lights go out.

• Safety and Security: It’s not a pleasant topic but the amount of burglaries in Minnesota is on the rise. Shining lights on your house and on your yard during the night prevents some of the more mischievous characters from approaching your home. That safety and security is priceless.

• Beautiful on Their Own: A well designed and installed lighting system creates ambiance and mood. They make the yard look mysterious and comforting. Your home will appear more grand than it did before.

Technology Used In Landscape Lighting

• LED vs. Halogen: With the continued growth in popularity of LED lights, the cost and reliability of them have increased a lot. LED lights use up to 90% of the electricity of halogen. They are also smaller and put out less heat.

• Solar lights: These are gaining popularity with the “sustainable landscaping” trends that have emerged recently. A solar panel is placed on top of a garden or path light. The solar panel charges the light during the day and the lights runs for typically 6-8 hours through the night. These require no complex system and are independently powered. They’re not as effective in the winter (less sun) but are sustainable and less expensive.

• Path lights: Blocks powered by solar light are installed into the path during construction. They light the path at night and also provide an interesting feature. These are a less expensive, more eco-friendly way to make your property safer and add interest at night.