With fall underway, it gets dark earlier every day leading up to Daylight Savings Time on the first weekend of November. Along with Trick or Treaters coming to the door, now is the perfect time to think about the outdoor lighting around your home.

There are four aspects of outdoor lighting to consider:

SAFETY

Avoid tripping and falling accidents for you and guests by lighting all the areas people use. All stairs, walkways and the driveway need constant, low-level illumination so you are sure of your steps. If safety lights are too bright or shining up into the face, it creates a glare that can be just as dangerous as no light at all. And all entries of your home – front, back and side – need a constant light that allows you to see and to feel welcomed into the home.

SECURITY

It is understood that well-lighted areas keep crime away, so use a mixture of steady dusk-to-dawn lighting (like a lamp post on the lawn and porch lighting) as well as motion detector lighting around the exterior of your home.

Security lighting should not be too bright, as strong lighting in a specific area increases the darkness elsewhere, creating convenient hiding places for vandals. And for your safety, control the glare and intensity with down-facing, shielded lighting of medium intensity.

Dusk to dawn and motion activated lighting is a good idea, but Hi/Lo Motion Activated lighting improves on these concepts. Specified lights stay on continuously but at a low level, and when movement is detected, that light amplifies.  And place these motion detector lights so you can see them from indoors and be aware of when they pop on.

AESTHETIC

Instantly increase the curb appeal of your home at night with special lighting that plays up significant features of your home. Place lights under favorite shrubs or trees for the drama of their shadows against the home. You can also accent architecturally pleasing points of the home like columns, keystones, or bay windows.

For your outdoor entertaining areas, avoid harsh, overhead lights that attract bugs and make it hard to see others. Opt for table lighting, strands of colored lights strung through trees or across the deck railings, or soft light outdoor light pendants or globes. And take advantage of the allure and flattering light of outdoor fireplaces or fire pits, which also come in handy during the cold autumn nights.

TYPES OF LIGHT

Americans are moving away from traditional incandescent and halogen lighting because the long lifespan and energy savings of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) is undeniable.

Another energy-saving choice is LED lighting, which have the same lifespan and energy savings as CFLs, but with some additional benefits. LEDs do not heat up, increasing safety and – in the case of uplighting among landscaping and greenery – eliminating fire hazards. Because LEDs are manufactured as a solid piece with no glass or filament to break, they are resistant to shock, vibration and impact. And they dim as they begin to lose power, which gives you a heads up that it’s time to replace them rather than suddenly losing light.

The necessity and beauty of outdoor lighting is apparent, but it also encompasses many layers of detail. Work with the architects and planners at Mosby Building Arts on the lighting design that’s right for your needs, and they will install them for you, too. Call the Mosby office at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.

This time of year is so festive because we decorate our homes with twinkling lights.  Inside and out, this warm glow lifts spirits and makes everything look special.  Have you noticed how empty a room feels once the holiday lights come down in January?   That’s because the extra lighting has disappeared, which highlights how important the proper lighting is for our spirits.

Every room needs multiple sources of light for the proper balance of productivity and mood.  A single, overhead light in a room is only the starting point for the layers of light needed to boost our productivity and mood.  An effective lighting master plan often includes the following types of lighting:

• Task Lighting Task lighting illuminates a specific task or work space for function and safety.  Applying makeup in the bathroom, cutting vegetables in the kitchen and woodworking in the garage require proper amounts of light aimed exactly where you need it most.  Recessed, lamp and pendant lighting are examples of efficient task lighting.

• Accent Lighting Illumination can be used to draw attention and set something apart from its surroundings is the intent of accent lighting.  It brightens perimeters, fills in backgrounds, and highlights special objects (such as art work or architectural details).  Other benefits of accent lighting is that it contributes to the overall illumination of a space, sets a mood or feel with the light, and can increase home security both indoors and outdoors.

• Convenience Lighting Safety and function are enhanced by convenience lighting when entering spaces, so we need to see clearly and immediately as we enter a space by flipping a switch.   Convenience lighting may be a ceiling-mounted light fixture, or lamps connected to a wall switch, even the light that automatically comes on when opening a garage or closet door.

• Energy Efficiency Lighting costs account for about 30% of our energy use and is a smart place to increase energy savings.  Dimmer switches and whole-house lighting control systems allow for more precise usage, energy conservation, extended lamp life and a welcoming feel.  Low-voltage bulbs such as compact fluorescents (CFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) provide high quality, warm light and last many times longer than incandescent bulbs for a fraction of conventional energy costs.

• Security Lighting Properly seeing our surroundings creates a sense of safety and security.  Outdoors at night we need sidewalks and entrances to be properly lit at all times for our safety.  Motion detectors can greet us and welcomes us home while also deterring vandals and burglars.  Indoors, lights on timers can create the illusion of someone being home at all times.  Adequate lighting throughout the home improves safety by illuminating hazards and prevents tripping and falling.

Good & Bad Lighting Design

All the effort we put into creating perfect spaces with carefully chosen paint colors, furniture and flooring can be instantly undermined by bad lighting, and brought alive with good lighting.  A room with harsh lighting or that’s too bright may be just as disconcerting as a room that’s too dark.  A  personalized and thorough lighting plan significantly contributes to a safe, comfortable, familiar and inviting space, and is a key component of a successful remodel.

Lighting design can become overwhelming for even a do-it-yourself veteran because of all the layers of light that need to be considered.  We recommend working with the design professionals at Mosby Building Arts, who are experienced in the science and intuition of well-placed lighting.  Together, we will map out a master plan that addresses all the exterior and interior lighting needs of your home, and assure that it reflects your taste and style.

To explore the possibilities of lighting design, call the Mosby office at 314.909.1800 or contact us here.