Uplighting or Downlighting: Which Landscape Lighting Do You Need for Your Home in Putnam County, NY?
Landscape lighting can really transform your home at night. Just drive through any neighborhood and you will immediately be drawn to those homes that have nighttime lighting to highlight portions of the landscape. But which landscape lighting do you need for your home in Putnam County, NY? Here are some tips for choosing uplighting or downlighting to bring out the best in your nighttime landscape.
Uplighting Features
Uplights are landscape lights installed at ground level to shine light upward onto special features. This might be a gorgeous, old tree with mature height and branches. Or, it can be the rustic stone base of your home. Perhaps you have a retaining wall that curves along the natural slope of your property; uplighting could be a perfect way to create soft illumination on that wall.
Uplighting draws the eye upward to focus on something specific, especially a tall feature of the landscape. Columns that are part of the front entryway, a special tree, or a pretty trellis are all candidates for uplights. In addition, uplighting can create nice shadows in the evening landscape. The shadows are not meant to be bold, but to gently draw your attention to particular aspects of the yard.
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Downlighting Features
Downlighting involves the installation of lights that are mounted high and aimed down on the landscape, illuminating things that are at ground level. With more of a diffused lighting appearance, downlights are wonderful for bringing light to paths, walkways, driveways, decks, and pool areas.
Most downlighting is concealed in a wall or in a tree, so that the only thing you notice is the diffused light and not the fixture. This type of lighting can add a measure of safety when walking in your yard at night, and when visitors arrive after dark.
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Layering Uplighting and Downlighting
For a maximum landscape lighting effect, consider using both types of lighting to bring soft light and focal point light to your nighttime yard. Because natural daylight highlights multiple layers of your yard, a combination of uplighting and downlighting can do the same for your landscape after dark. The uplighting can focus attention on your yard’s unique features such as architectural details or a decorative stone wall, while downlighting can bring a subtle ambiance to the rest of the property. For example, a tree with uplighting from the bottom and downlighting from the top can be a dramatic look for any yard.
Both of these lighting techniques can illuminate architectural features, water features, and yard statues. They add security and clarity when friends and family come to visit in the evening, and can even define the boundaries of your property.
Landscape lighting can not only bring unmatched beauty to your landscape in the darkness, but it also adds value to your property. Carefully consider how you want your yard to look at night before deciding to invest in uplighting or downlighting. Layering the two types of lighting can usually bring together all of the features that you love about nighttime lights.
Consult a landscape specialist for recommendations on how to achieve maximum nighttime loveliness in your yard. We have the resources to produce exactly what your Putnam County, NY, home needs to shine after dark.