Pool landscape lighting ideas
10 ways for designing pool lighting |
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(Image credit: Bianchi Design / Michael Woodall)
You’ll need some pool lighting ideas if you’re planning on building a new pool to complete your backyard, or if you want to refresh and update an existing pool area.
There are a lot more options nowadays for pool light ideas that go beyond the standard submerged pool lights. It’s a matter of beautifully and thoughtfully illuminating the surrounding pool area as well, so is an integral decision when planning your pool ideas.
Pool lighting ideas
(Image credit: John Cullen Lighting)
'Outdoor lighting ideas are an integral part of enjoying any outdoor living space and should not allowed to go without serious thought,' says Michael Deo, certified outdoor lighting designer (COLD) and owner of NatureScape Lighting in Millington, New Jersey.
'The overall enjoyment of the space is the reason we install swimming pools to begin with, and often, folks don’t get to use them until well after the sun sets,' he adds.
From path illumination to spotlighting the most aesthetically-pleasing surrounding pool landscaping ideas, these pool lighting ideas will inspire and inform your vision.
1. Brighten up the pool deck or patio
(Image credit: David Wilds Patton Lighting Design/HrH Architecture/John Sutton Photography)
While it’s certainly helpful to light the pool itself, it’s equally wise to illuminate the surrounding pool area, deck or patio, something that will let you see your backyard at night in all its glory.
This effect will create 'an illuminated border outside the swimming pool,' explains Michael Deo, which can make it the centerpiece of your outdoor space. It also will give you 'a safe pedestrian zone,' he adds, ideal for guests, who will benefit from your pool lighting ideas.
2.
Try uplighting and downlighting (Image credit: Bianchi Design/George Gruel)
If you want to give the outdoor features that surround your pool the attention they deserve, consider a mix of uplighting and downlighting. While uplighting as a pool light idea can illuminate branches and plants from the ground up, installed downlighting additionally creates a natural look and covers more surface area.
Kirk Bianchi, pool and landscape designer at Scottsdale, Arizona’s Bianchi Design , and his consultant Janet Lennox Moyer , lighting designer and author of new book The Art of Landscape Lighting , believe that pool lighting ideas allow us to reconnect with our garden spaces, permitting us to enjoy outdoor living at the prime hours when we are at home relaxing.
Downlights can shine from a tree or an eave of your home, Kirk and Janet explain.
3. Light adjacent structures
(Image credit: NatureScape Lighting)
When devising pool lighting ideas, don’t just stick to the pool – surrounding structures should not be overlooked.
'Plan to light adjacent structures, such as pergolas, arbors, and other shade structures, including umbrellas,' says Michael Deo of NatureScape Lighting. 'These spaces provide shade during the daylight hours but may become too dark to enjoy after hours.'
Consider also lighting a pool house, or other garden building located close to the pool area.
Whether these lights are structure-mounted or hanging, such as an outdoor chandelier, dimmable lighting can make all the difference, adds Michael.
4. Think vertically
(Image credit: Bianchi Design/George Gruel)
Pool light ideas involve a lot more than simply lighting walkways around the pool. There is also an opportunity to be visual and intentional with your choices, making your backyard look its very best.
One way to accomplish this approach is by illuminating any vertical surfaces by your pool. 'People see vertical surfaces first within a space,' explain Kirk Bianchi and Janet Lenox Moyer.
This means that walls, trees, sculptures, and other background elements need to be lit to fully create a sense of setting around your pool.
5. Highlight plants after dark
(Image credit: Arterra Landscape Architects/Michele Lee Willson)
While your plants alongside your pool may look stunning in the daylight, they should take center stage at night time, too.
Michael Deo advises planting colorful plants that look their best during the season when you’ll be using the pool. 'Then, use accent lighting fixtures to minimize glare and highlight your favorite plants after dark,' he says.
6. Use the pool as a mirror
(Image credit: DDLA Design Landscape Architecture)
Your pool acts as a natural mirror, something that you can use to your advantage in pool lighting ideas.
'When designing the pool and the yard, ultimately to be enjoyed at night, be sure that there are elements worthy of being lit and reflected in the pool,' explain Kirk Bianchi and Janet Lenox Moyer.
This can include the illuminated outline of a nearby pergola, lanterns that line the pool’s edge, or cascading, twinkling lights that hang overhead.
7. Consider lanterns, torches, or fire features
(Image credit: Outdoor Living of NJ)
Outdoor lighting can tend to focus on LED lighting, but you can always choose to think outside the and incorporate lighting throughout your pool patio ideas. Lanterns showcasing candles, tiki torches, or your outdoor fireplace ideas can double as sources of light.
Michael Deo has a penchant for using professional copper or brass tiki torches in pool areas. These fixtures can be combined with LED lighting, illuminating the patio or garden area below with an oil-burning canister and helping to provide insect control along with warm ambiance.
8. Include path lighting
(Image credit: ZEN Associates / Nat Rea )
Path lighting isn’t just pleasing to the eye – it is also necessary when it comes to pool lighting ideas.
'Path lighting is important and should first be accomplished by overhead sources illuminating the adjacent planter beds and indirectly lighting the path by spillover,' advise Kirk Bianchi and Janet Lenox Moyer of their preferred method of lighting up pool pathways.
'Only when there is no overhead opportunity should path light fixtures or wall fixtures be enlisted, and they must be shielded carefully to avoid glare,' they add.
9. Make it safe
(Image credit: Bianchi Design / Michael Woodall)
In addition to turning to pool lighting ideas for added safety in your outdoor space, by illuminating pathways and walking areas, you need to think about the safety of the lights themselves.
'First, you should ensure that any low voltage landscape lighting is located outside of the zone deemed safe by your local inspector,' lighting designer Michael Deo emphasizes.
Some inspectors use five feet away from the pool as a standard, while others enforce 'the 10-foot rule.
Check with your local jurisdiction,' the lighting designer adds.
10. Highlight three-dimensional features
(Image credit: NatureScape Lighting)
When you have a feature near your pool, such as a striking tree or sculpture, it’s best to use more light fixtures and a lower wattage – a combination that effectively reveals 'the three-dimensional character' of an object, advise Kirk Bianchi and Janet Lenox Moyer.
This mix will prevent bright, glaring spots while still attracting attention to certain features you may wish to highlight with the pool light ideas.
How do I light my pool area?
To light your pool area, always use the services of a pool professional. This is especially so when the pool lighting ideas involve any underwater lighting, since this is considered to be 'human bathing,' advises Michael Deo, and so the lighting will be properly rated for this use and inspected for compliance and safety after it has been professionally installed.
'Plan early with pool light ideas,' Michael adds. 'If working with a professional, discuss lighting at the start of the project. Even if the lighting is not going to be installed right away, it should be planned for so you’re not "locked out" of critical areas,' he explains.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Can I add lights to an existing pool?
To add lights to an existing pool in a backyard, there needs to be a planned remodel underway, 'where the deck, or other surrounding landscaping is already being removed in the scope of work,' advise Kirk Bianchi and Janet Lenox Moyer.
If a pool remodel isn’t an option, however, then consider getting creative with other outdoor garden lighting ideas, such as solar-powered pathway lights, outdoor pendant lights, hanging string lights, and tiki torches.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
How many lights should a pool have?
There are no set requirements as to how many lights a pool should have to adequately light the area and it is a matter of personal preference.
While some people may prefer low lighting around their pool so they can see the stars, others may want enough ambient light to execute their best pool party ideas well into the evening.
In their work, Kirk Bianchi and Janet Lenox Moyer will, depending on the length of the pool, place lights about eight feet – centered to the pool – along the house side of the pool, aiming them away from the viewer. 'In this way, you won’t be staring directly at harsh lights at night,' they advise.
Shelby Deering is a freelance lifestyle writer based in Madison, Wisconsin. With a Master’s degree in Journalism and a background as an editor, Shelby has contributed design features, home tours, and other lifestyle stories to national publications, including Domino, Better Homes & Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, Good Housekeeping, and more.
11 Great Landscape Lighting Ideas for Trees, Pools, Walkways, and More
Adding landscape lighting is such a valuable addition to any outdoor project.
Not only does it serve a functional purpose by adding an element of safety and security, but it also adds a tremendous amount of aesthetic appeal.
There are countless ways to light up a property. While you may have seen a variety of landscape lighting ideas, you’re not sure which would work best for your property or even how they’d all come together.
Looking at pictures of landscape lighting is one way to start narrowing down which ideas you might like best. We’ve also rounded up some other ideas to keep in mind as you start planning your outdoor space.
Watch this Case Study Video About a Landscape Lighting Transformation!
Landscape Lighting Ideas for Trees
Trees are such a valuable addition to your property and you want to be able to enjoy them, even when the sun goes down. Lighting your trees is a great way to add visual interest to your landscape in the evening hours. There are two key ways that we suggest lighting your trees.
1. Uplight Your Trees
When uplighting, the light fixture is placed in the ground around the tree and shines on it to accentuate its trunk and canopy. This is a great way to show off an attractive tree in the evening hours. The resulting shadows can also add some interest after dark. Uplighting provides a bolder, more dramatic effect for landscape lighting.
2. Downlight your Trees
You could also choose to downlight a tree. In this case, the light fixtures are added in the under canopy of the tree from which they shine down. This is also called “moonlighting” and can look absolutely stunning when done correctly. Downlighting provides a more romantic feel.
It’s important to note that downlighting is best done on trees that have a backside which is not visible. That’s because a wire must be run up the tree and for aesthetic purposes, it is best hidden.
Landscape Lighting Ideas for Driveways
Landscape lighting for your driveway makes it safer and more attractive.
When done properly, it can impact your home’s curb appeal in a positive way. A well-lit driveway looks inviting and attractive. But the key is definitely that it’s done properly. If done poorly, it can negatively impact curb appeal.
3. Opt for Soft Lighting
The biggest mistake with lighting a driveway is creating that “deer-in-a-headlights” feeling that people get when they pull into a driveway that has a spotlight shining directly in their face. Instead of fulfilling the function of lighting the way, it actually makes it harder to see where you’re going as you are essentially being blinded by the light.
4. Avoid the Runway Look
In addition, when lighting a long driveway, be careful to avoid the “airport runway look” that can be achieved when too many lights fall into a row. You’re not trying to achieve a landing strip—and if that’s what it looks like you’ve created, it’s not going to be very attractive.
The key to proper driveway lighting is that it should be subtle.
Landscape lighting should be soft and skillfully placed. It’s something that takes a professional eye for design.
Landscape Lighting Ideas for Pools
Lighting up your pool area will serve the functional purpose of allowing you to use the space in the evening hours. But it will also boost your aesthetics. That means that even if you’re not using the pool, but maybe enjoying dinner on your patio—or even looking at the pool from inside your home—it’s going to be much more visually appealing.
5. Go Subtle
When lighting your pool patio and walkways, the idea is to do so in a way that is as unobtrusive as possible. There should never be lights placed in areas where they are are trip hazards in your pool space. And, similar to your driveway, you do not want to create a lighting situation in which light is shining in anyone’s face and impacting their experience—nor do you want to create a runway effect with your pool walkways.
Lighting should be subtle and attractive, creating a resort-like feeling to your pool space.
6. Go Beyond the Pool
Also, think about lighting the areas around your pool as much as the pool itself. After all, your surrounding landscape is the backdrop to the pool. You can employ some of the landscape lighting ideas for trees that we mentioned in order to showcase some of the beautiful trees that surround your pool.
7. Light Up Your Water Features
Lighting can also highlight water features in a spectacular way. If you’ve added a waterfall or some other type of water feature to your poolscape, or even nearby, it takes on a whole new look when lit at night. We’ve even had homeowners add colored lighting to water features for a truly unique look. It’s like having a light show in your own backyard!
Landscape Lighting Ideas for Walls
Retaining walls often double as sitting walls and lighting them up is important to let people know where they can sit. It’s also functionally important to light your walls so that nobody runs into them.
But walls can also be aesthetically appealing with the right landscape lighting ideas for walls.
8. Use Under Cap Lights
If you have any sitting walls incorporated into your landscape, under cap lighting can highlight the beauty of the wall’s material. Whether it’s natural stone or even a paver, it takes on a whole new look when lit up in the evening hours.
9. Wall Wash with Light
Using a soft spotlight to wash a wall with light is an aesthetically pleasing technique that can show off the natural stone or pavers you’ve used on a border wall around your property—or even the wall of your home. If you have a beautiful stone home, you might uplight some of its stonework with a wash of soft light.
Landscape Lighting Ideas for Walkways
A well-lit walkway in your front or backyard adds an element of beauty while also making the path safer to traverse. But the key to making walkways aesthetically pleasing is to keep your lighting efforts subtle.
10. Forgo Path Lights Entirely
There is no rule that says you must light up a walkway with path lights. In order to avoid that landing strip look that we keep mentioning, you could forgo path lights and use strategic uplighting, downlighting, or cross lighting to ensure your path is lit. If you do use path lights, just be careful that they are not placed too close together. Most people assume they need a lot more light than they really do.
11. Light up Your Steps
For steps, built-in lights are an aesthetically pleasing option that will also serve the functional purpose of making them safer to navigate. You could also use strategically placed spotlights or path lights to light up your steps. There’s no question that steps should be well-lit as they are both a danger and a liability.
Using a Landscape Lighting Professional
There is a big difference between sticking a few spotlights around your property and working with a professional. Besides the artistic eye for design, a professional will also have access to much higher end product than anything a do-it-yourselfer could buy.
A landscape lighting professional is going to install LED lighting, have superior warranties on their products, and also work with much higher quality finishes like copper and brass (never plastic, as you’d see in a box store).
Plus, a professional is going to understand the technical aspects of landscape lighting, such as photometrics (the science of the measurement of light in terms of its brightness). There are so many nuances that come into play when getting landscape lighting just right. It could be the difference between a landscape that is elegantly lit and one that is made less attractive with poor lighting.
In the end, the choice is yours.
You can either choose to work with a landscape lighting professional who is going to have a wealth of landscape lighting design pictures from past jobs to look through, as well as work with any ideas that you have gathered. Or, you can work with an average contractor giving you limited options that result in a poorly-executed design.
By choosing to work with a landscape lighting expert, you can light up your landscape in a way that makes it truly spectacular, while also serving all the functional purposes you need it to.
Check out some of our past projects for more pictures of landscape lighting and get ideas on how to illuminate your Reading, York, Hershey, Lebanon, or Lancaster, PA property. You can also schedule a free consultation or get in touch by calling (717) 276-9447.
5 landscaping ideas for pool lovers
admin 0 Comments pool, pool for summer cottage, pool design
In order for your pool to harmonize with the natural landscape of your yard, it is important to emphasize it with decor. Pool lovers can choose from any number of decorations and landscaping to give them a smooth form and function to suit their needs.
Find out what types of pool landscaping are available and what fits into your backyard pool design plans. nine0009
Natural additions
An important step towards incorporating your pool into your backyard is to add natural decor such as plants and rocks. Adding trees and shrubs a good distance from the pool will accentuate it. Planting perennials or annuals in the flower beds around the pool will also help them blend in with the landscape. Boulders and rocks surrounding flower beds or the area around a pool can help make it stand out or remind you where it is if you're walking in the dark. nine0009 Whatever you develop landscape design for cottages - with flower beds, lawns, fountains and gazebos, pool on your site will not be superfluous.
Walkways
You may also want to consider installing a backyard walkway or sidewalk that leads from the back door to the pool. It can be made from stone steps, paving stones, wood planks, or any other material that suits your pool or surrounding landscape. This will help you navigate the pool at night and can also be helpful for guests. nine0009 Do-it-yourself design of pool in the country house will include many stages, from the choice of forms to landscape design of the territory.
Seating
If you don't want to be in the pool all day, consider adding some seating around the pool. Sofas, reclining chairs or even sun loungers can make the pool more inviting for guests and also be used during parties. Keep them attached to the ground so they don't fly into the pool on windy days or at parties with a lot of people. nine0009 In order for pool to become not just a relaxation area, but also a key element of landscape design , it can and should be emphasized using various plants for this.
Lighting
Lighting allows you to see the pool at any time and you can light up the water in many ways. You can hang torches, lamps, Christmas lights or lamps above the water. You can also hire a professional to install different colors of lighting underwater. Give your pool an extra sparkle with key accent lighting. nine0009 Lighting for swimming pool is not only a way to emphasize its individuality, but also an element of safety for your resting place.
Privacy
It's always nice to enjoy your pool without people passing by your house and backyard where the pool is located. Install a fence around your yard. It can be made from an opaque material such as wood, corrugated board or brick.
Conclusion
Pool maintenance doesn't have to be a tedious and time-consuming task. With the right plants, lighting, and a little time on your part, your pool will seamlessly fit into your backyard and add to the appeal when you sell your home a certain number of years from now.
Landscaping is especially helpful in the summer when you need shade while swimming in the hot sun or want to have a pool party without disturbing the neighbors next door. Don't wait until the sun is scorching outside to tackle these landscape improvements. nine0009
Incredible outdoor pool landscaping ideas | LikeDesign
There's no better way to enjoy the warm weather than by taking a dip in the pool.
Outdoor swimming poolA variety of innovative and attractive materials can be used to create stunning landscaping:
1. Natural stone. A wide range of natural stones can be used for pool landscaping. The most popular options include limestone, sandstone and travertine. Each type of stone has its own unique look and feel, so choosing the right stone is vital for your home. nine0009 Natural Stone Pool
2. Brick is another popular option for pool landscaping. It is durable and easy to care for and is available in a variety of colors and styles.
3. Stone slab. Stone slab is a type of sedimentary rock often used in landscaping. It is available in various colors and textures and is durable.
Stone slab pool4. Concrete is a versatile material that can create both traditional and modern landscaping. It is also easy to maintain and very affordable. nine0009 A versatile pool material - concrete
Here are some great landscaping ideas for your pool to help you make the most of your outdoor space.
Use natural materials
When it comes to pool landscaping, it's best to use natural materials. Stone, gravel and sand are great choices for your pool. Not only do they look great, but they are easy to care for and won't break the bank. nine0009 Pool wood
Add some greenery
Adding greenery to your pool is a great way to add color. Choose plants that are known to be low maintenance, such as succulents, cacti, and ferns.
Pool Landscape DecorationInclude Water Features
Water features are a great way to add interest to your pool.
Fountains, waterfalls, and even simple birdbaths can make a big impact. Just be sure to choose safe materials around the water, such as concrete, stone, or metal.
Use lighting to your advantage
String lights, solar lights and landscape lighting can be used to create a unique and inviting space.
Lighting plays an important role in the design of the poolCreate different areas of relaxation
Your pool does not have to be one spacious open space. For example, you can create a relaxation area for entertainment, a playground for children, or a place in the garden for relaxation. nine0009 The division into zones makes relaxing by the pool even more comfortable
Sometimes the best landscaping is the simplest. A few well-chosen plants, the right lighting, and a few key accessories can go a long way.
Pedestal PoolWhatever your budget or style, there are many ways to create a beautiful and functional pool.
Waterfall Pool With some planning and creativity, you can design an outdoor space that you and your family will enjoy for years to come.
