Despite the unpredictable British climate, outdoor entertaining has grown rapidly in popularity, with homeowners increasingly customising part of their garden to eat, drink and be merry.
Geared towards evening entertainment a key component of any exterior sitting/ dining area needs to be lighting.
On a very basic level, outdoor lighting for entertainment needs to be functional so that dinner guests can see each other and make their way in and out of the house safely.
However, outdoor lighting can really transform a patio or garden seating area into something spectacular – the kind of place guests, will want to sit for hours, whatever the weather.
Build outdoor lighting into entertainment area plans
Extending the living area – outdoor lighting that compliments the interior of a property will help to provide a seamless transition from indoor kitchen/ diners into patios, making the garden an integral part of the home.
Garden designers, patio installers and builders wanting to bring an extra special touch to exterior features should certainly consider the benefits of outdoor lighting.
With higher spec lighting available there is a greater choice than ever when it comes to affordable and safe outdoor lighting.
Built into a design from the early stages, outdoor lighting can be an integral part of the look and feel of the garden or house exterior.
Ideally the exterior should be considered as a whole when designing outdoor lighting, incorporating different techniques to give a subtle rather than overwhelming finish.
Landscape lighting
As well as being a crime deterrent, outdoor lighting can be used to highlight paths and steps to reduce the potential for falls.
Less is more when it comes to landscape lighting and this essentially creates a backdrop and brings ambience to outdoor entertainment areas.
Rather than drown the garden in darkness or light strategically placed uplights can highlight the garden’s best features, such as trees, larger shrubs or statues.
If the garden includes a water feature this is a good spot to add a wow factor by installing a light underneath where the water passes to bathe it in ambient light. While landscape lighting sets the scene for an outdoor entertainment area, task lighting makes it useable.
Outdoor task lighting for entertaining
As an electrical wholesaler G2 has extensive experience in working with electricians and companies to draw up lighting designs as well as source specific lighting requirements.
Hanging lights above barbeques or installing wall lighting directed onto the cooking area will allow the hosts to see what they are doing while serving dinner without drowning guests in artificial light.
Many homes also want to make the outdoor area an extension of the home. To make this transition more seamless consider mimicking the lighting scheme, reflecting the same lighting temperature and replicating colours used indoors.
Along with task lighting consider functional lighting – make sure there is lighting built into steps and to direct visitors along pathways.
Wall-mounted lights are ideal for illuminating a dinner table and can give way to more discreet lighting for outdoor drinks.
For advice on the best outdoor lighting equipment or to find out more about our lighting design service contact G2 to chat to a member of the team.
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