Effectively illuminating outdoor spaces involves placing lights in strategic places in order to best enhance the aesthetics of your home’s features. Different lighting colors can evoke different moods which can affect how your property is perceived. Whether that be with lights that are warm and welcoming or lights that are cool and modern. In today’s blog we will be providing a helpful guide on selecting the right colors for your outdoor lights.
Understanding Color Temperature
Color Temperature is one of the most important elements in understanding outdoor lighting design. Color temperature is measured in units known as Kelvin (K) with lower kelvin numbers representing warmer, yellower light and higher kelvin numbers representing cooler, bluer light. Warm lighting with yellow and amber hues generally ranges between 2000k to 3000k whereas cool blue toned lighting ranges between 4600k to 6500k. Warm lighting creates a mellow, inviting and comfortable atmosphere and is perfect for spaces where you want to relax like patios, gazebos and gardens. Cool lighting is perfect for areas where you want clear visibility, either highlighting a specific subject like a home or yard feature, or for safety in places like walkways or driveways.
How to Choose the Right Color
Choose colors that complement the colors of your home and landscaping, warmer lights are more suitable for earth tones whereas cool lights are better for modern designs. Warm lights also pair better with greenery and foliage whereas cool lights are better when the design skews more urban. The best colors for lighting your front yard are soft whites or warm yellows that are easy on the eyes to create an inviting atmosphere. For backyard lighting consider using a combination of warm whites for that cozy feel and colored lighting for when you want the environment to be a bit more playful. While you can combine different lighting colors in one area it is important to make sure that all of your choices complement each other as the effect can be rather jarring when your lighting colors clash. Lastly modern smart lighting systems can allow you to set different lighting colors using apps on your smartphone, giving you a great deal of control over your outdoor lighting and letting you vary up the atmosphere as you see fit.
We hope we have been able to provide you with some useful information when it comes to choosing the right colors for your outdoor lighting. If you would like to utilize the professional services of an expert outdoor lighting company and learn how it can help your outdoor lighting really pop, please feel free to contact us.
If you are interested in outdoor lighting, give Northern Lights a call on the Lower Mainland at (604) 357-4781. This is our area of expertise, and we can help you.
