Outdoor Nightscaping Inspiration

Decorate your yard

Decorating your yard to maximize enjoyment during the summer is a fun DIY project you can do year after year. However, it’s easy to forget to decorate your yard with items that help illuminate the area after the sun goes down. Not only is this important for creating the right ambiance to enjoy your outdoor space at all hours, but it’s also important for safety reasons. Click through this slideshow of all the best in outdoor nightscaping as inspiration for your own outdoor oasis.

Light Up Paths

A well-lit path not only ensures safety as people travel to or from your home during the evening hours, but it also creates a welcoming aesthetic. Down-lighting, or individually lit pavers, are a great way to provide enough illumination for safety and a great outdoor look. Consider installing small, solar-powered light fixtures on both sides of the path as an environmentally friendly option. Or, if you want to get creative with lighting your walkways, you can even recycle Christmas lights as an effective and unique method of providing the light you’re looking for.

Water Features

Lighting up pools, ponds, or even fountains is a great way to provide your yard with more illumination. Plus, a well-lit water feature looks pretty cool at night. Underwater lights can show off water features, providing a soothing rippling effect given the reflective light. Plus, from a safety perspective, this ensures that everyone can see where water features exist and avoid accidentally falling in.

Doors

Lighting the entryways to your home is a no-brainer. This is best done from above a door or on either side of one, so be sure to choose the appropriate fixtures. You may want to opt for motion-activated lights that turn on automatically when someone approaches your door, making them a good security measure too.

Think Outside the Box

While white lights are the traditional bulb of choice for nightscaping, it’s becoming more and more common to choose bulbs that are outside of the box. Those with color filters allow you to personalize the look of your outdoor space and have more control over the look and feel of your yard. This is also a great way to add depth to the design and highlight brightness.

Decks, Patios, and Gazebos

Especially for the sake of entertaining, you’ll want your patio, gazebo, or deck to be well-lit. Down-lighting — mounting a light above the area you’re working with — is the best way to light these areas. This method creates a moonlight effect while diminishing harsh shadows or glare, giving you and your guests the perfect space to enjoy a warm summer’s evening. You can also try using string lights above your deck or patio for not only great lighting, but a fun, symmetrical look.

Driveway Lighting

You want to light your driveway for safety reasons. Strategically placing lights within your driveway’s landscaping on either side can achieve this goal while simultaneously giving your yard more depth and a more pleasing aesthetic overall.

Use Uplighting for Dramatic Effect

Uplighting is spotlighting your target with light from below. This method is known to elongate trees, greenery, or even a front entrance. Use uplighting to highlight pillars and walls surrounding your home for drama and flair.

Use Household Items

Just because you’re looking to revamp the nighttime look of your yard doesn’t mean you have to spend money. Instead, use household items such as unused vases or tin cans to hold lights and add a unique look to your yard. Upside down vases holding light bulbs can provide a makeshift chandelier. Tin cans that vary in size with punched holes and lights inside can adorn the railing of a deck for an effective, yet stylish, light feature that you can cheaply make yourself.

Creating the perfect setting at all times of the day and night is easy when you perfectly nightscape your yard. Have fun with this project and you’ll love enjoying your outdoor space after the sun goes down.