When we begin a new outdoor lighting project at TLC Inc, we consider it to be a unique and distinct project, almost like a work of art. That’s because just like snowflakes and fingerprints, no two homes are exactly the same.
Though a home may be a cookie-cutter model nestled amongst hundreds of the very same design, it’s still unique. The family that lives inside that home makes it unique. And subtle variations of landscaping and outdoors décor help to distinguish that home as one-of-a-kind.
That’s why it’s important that the design we create for a home’s outdoor lighting is also unique, tailored to the subtle qualities that make that home different from all others.
But even though the final result is unique, the process we use to design the exterior lighting for each home is very similar. In fact, you could say that each exterior lighting project focuses upon three stages of lighting design:
Build a foundation with ambient lighting. Ambient lighting is like the pedestal supporting a sculpture, or the canvas beneath a portrait – it provides the foundation of your landscape lighting design. Ambient lighting provides the basis for both the practical and artistic elements of your landscape lighting project.
Assure that your nighttime outdoor environment is safe. One of the great benefits of landscape lighting is the safety and security it offers to your family. That’s why part of the focus in designing a lighting project is devoted to assuring that the design enhances safety in every way possible. That means that steps, walkways and pathways are well lit for pedestrian safety. And it also means assuring that there are no ‘black holes’ in your landscape lighting that could result in weakened security.
Accent lighting provides the artistry. Using lighting to draw attention to some of the architectural or landscaping features of your property is the true artistry of landscape lighting design. Every property provides an artist’s palette of possibilities for creating a stunning and distinctive outdoor nightscape. It’s up to the experienced eye of the designer to accent the best, most distinctive features.
Experience Is Key…
In many ways, designing and installing outdoor landscape lighting is an art form. And just as any two artists supplied with the same raw materials will create very different works of art, so it is with landscape lighting professionals. The final result of a landscape lighting project depends less upon the raw materials, and more upon the experience and talent of the contractor.
That’s why choosing the right contractor for your landscape lighting project is a critical first step. Choose the wrong contractor, and your landscape lighting may turn out to be no more than ordinary and mundane. Choose an experienced contractor who’s created countless landscape lighting works of art, and you’ll be amazed at the artistic potential currently concealed in your dark and murky nighttime landscape.