Start with what you want to see
Landscape lighting lights the yard rather than the building: paths, plantings, trees, steps and the walk up to the front door. Done well, you notice the yard and not the fixtures. Done badly, it looks like an airport runway down the driveway.
What usually gets lit
Most plans start with the walk, because that is the part you use whether or not anybody is looking. A well placed uplight keeps the yard from going flat and black at nine at night. Beds, steps, retaining walls and the drive round it out, and the step lighting is safety more than looks.
Where the categories blur
Homeowners usually want more than one thing. Out back, the patio only gets used after dark if it has light. Security lighting lights the places that stay dark, which is a different job from making a tree look good. Accent lighting highlights
https://blogfreely.net/morvinlmrb/h1-b-choosing-an-outdoor-lighting-company-a-homeowners-checklist-what the parts of the house or yard worth a second look.
Where landscape lighting goes wrong
More light is not better. A yard lit evenly at every point has no depth, and flat is the one thing you were trying to avoid. Badly aimed fixtures put light in your guests' eyes instead of on the ground. The third is forgetting that plants grow, when the shrub in front of the uplight has doubled.
The commercial side
On commercial property the goals shift. A restaurant patio has to be comfortable to sit in after dark. A parking area is a safety question first. A neighborhood entrance sets the tone for everything behind it, which is why entrances get lit carefully.
Landscape lighting and roofline lighting together
The two do different jobs and look better together. The house has an outline; the ground has layers. Either one alone leaves half the property flat.Doing them at the same time is easier than doing them a year apart. If the budget only covers one this year, ask which half does more for your property, and it is not always the roofline.Landscape lighting needs a look now and then. Fixtures get bumped by mowers, plantings grow up in front of them, and the aim wanders. Once a year somebody should re aim what has drifted, which is a short job with a visible result.
Where to go from here
The plan comes from walking the property, not chosen off a menu. EverCrest Lighting installs landscape lighting along with patio, accent, security and permanent roofline lighting for residential and commercial properties. They are based in Greenville, South Carolina and serve Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. The consultation is free and the design is drawn for your property. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or
[email protected].