Proper lighting plays a vital role in the comfort and livability of any living space. Calculated lighting design can set the mood, add ambiance, and improve spaciousness. However, when designing lighting, most people tended to focus on the interior of their home, with exterior lighting coming as an afterthought.
Thanks to innovations in LED technologies, today there is a trend of homeowners using low-voltage LED landscape lighting to upgrade outdoor living spaces and enhance lifestyles through the use of light and colors. Desired for their directional light outputs and flexible features, spotlights are one of the most sought-after fixtures for residential landscape lighting applications.
Whether it be for your family lifestyle or for outdoor activities, landscape lighting helps extend the living spaces of your property during the night. The use of sleek, professional-quality fixtures can stealthily enhance the look and feel of your home and property.
Why Use Spotlights?
If landscape lighting is painting with light, then spotlights are the brushes. Spotlights can be applied to most up-lighting applications. They are commonly used for emphasis – to call attention to specific architectural or landscape features. Spotlights are selectively applied within a landscape layout to create a light design that is visually appealing. Unique lighting techniques can be applied to set the mood of a space, add ambiance to establish functionality, and help with the illusion of space.
New Technologies
Spotlights, which originated in the theatre world for stage lighting, have been used for outdoor lighting applications since the inception of the concept. Historically, incandescent lamps were traditionally used for residential landscape lighting applications. The technology behind this, although still useful for some specific lighting applications, is mostly outdated when compared to LEDs. Today, spotlights utilizing LED technology are more efficient on power, they emit significantly less heat, and they are designed for longevity.
Through the proper application of LED spotlights, homeowners can add beauty and depth to a home while also providing safety and increasing security. Thanks to advances in technology and manufacturer’s innovative design teams, spotlight models exist for virtually every application and budget. Different spotlight styles and usable techniques allow a homeowner to become a lighting designer in their own right.
“I used LED spotlights to illuminate the front pop-out corners of my stucco house. They provided a beautiful dramatic effect and also added a sense of security.”
-Bob (homeowner from Pueblo, CO)
How To Get Started
As an affordable and safe project to install, landscape lighting is becoming a widely popular must-have for DIYers everywhere. Similar to any home improvement project, it’s always wise to do initial research. For a landscape lighting project, homeowners should research the different types and styles of lights to determine which would be best for their needs.
Planning and installing a low-voltage landscape lighting system has never been an easier project for a homeowner thanks to companies like VOLT® Lighting. VOLT’s® resource center has a database of helpful, informational articles and videos on how to select spotlights, and how to properly install them.
Pictured right: Todd Erickson of Campus Landscape | Tampa, FL
