Landscape Lighting

Your Landscape Does Not Stop at Sunset

Great landscaping deserves to be enjoyed after dark. Outdoor lighting transforms your property, making it usable and beautiful at night. It creates ambiance for entertaining, improves safety along walkways and stairs, and showcases your landscape features that disappear when the sun goes down.

We design and install custom landscape lighting systems throughout Oakley. Our lighting enhances your property's architecture and landscaping while providing practical illumination where you need it. From subtle accent lighting to complete outdoor living area illumination, we create lighting designs that fit your style and budget.

Landscape Lighting Techniques We Use

Different lighting techniques create different effects. We combine several approaches for balanced, attractive results:

• Path lighting: Low fixtures along walkways, driveways, and steps provide safe passage while adding visual appeal.
• Uplighting: Fixtures aimed upward highlight trees, architectural features, or focal point plants with dramatic effect.
• Downlighting: Lights mounted high create moonlight effects, illuminate larger areas, or wash walls with soft light.
• Spotlighting: Focused beams draw attention to special features like statues, water features, or specimen plants.
• Silhouetting: Lights behind plants cast dramatic shadows against walls or fences for artistic effects.
• Deck and patio lighting: Built-in or mounted fixtures make outdoor living spaces usable after dark.

Why Add Landscape Lighting?

Outdoor lighting serves both practical and aesthetic purposes. On the practical side, it improves safety by illuminating steps, changes in elevation, and pathways where people walk. It deters potential intruders by eliminating dark hiding spots around your property. It extends usable hours for outdoor spaces so you can enjoy your patio or deck well into the evening.

Aesthetically, lighting showcases your landscape investment. That beautiful tree you planted gets hidden by darkness without uplighting. Your attractive hardscaping disappears. Architectural details fade away. Thoughtful lighting brings everything back to life after sunset with a completely different character than daytime appearance.

Good lighting also adds value to your property. Homes with professional landscape lighting stand out in their neighborhoods. They create strong curb appeal at night and demonstrate attention to detail that buyers notice. Many customers add lighting when they complete major landscape projects to showcase their new outdoor spaces.

Energy-Efficient LED Lighting

We install LED lighting systems almost exclusively. LEDs use a fraction of the electricity compared to older halogen bulbs. They last 25,000-50,000 hours instead of just 2,000-4,000 hours. This means years of operation without bulb replacement. They also produce much less heat, making them safer around plants and flammable materials.

LED technology offers excellent color quality and control. You can choose warm whites that create cozy ambiance or cooler whites for crisp, modern looks. Color-changing options let you adjust mood for different occasions. Dimming capabilities provide flexibility for different activities and preferences.

Custom Design for Your Property

Every property has unique features and lighting needs. We visit at night to see how your landscape appears after dark and identify opportunities for improvement. We discuss your priorities for lighting, whether focused on safety, aesthetics, or both.

Then we create a lighting plan that highlights your best features while providing practical illumination. We consider sightlines from inside your home and from the street. We balance light and shadow for visual interest rather than flooding everything with uniform brightness. We conceal fixtures and wiring for clean, professional appearance.

Installation involves running low-voltage wiring underground or through landscape beds. We connect fixtures and transformers, test everything thoroughly, and adjust aiming for optimal effects. Most systems include timers or photo sensors for automatic operation. We can also integrate with smart home systems for app control. If you also need hardscape installation, coordinating both projects together often works well.

Common Questions About Landscape Lighting