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How do you provide good lighting to an alfresco area or outdoor room I hear you ask?
In our peak summer period many of us couldn't think of a better place to have our evening meal with family and friends than right in our own backyard. If you are starting from scratch that's brilliant, though many of our clients have existing areas that were never properly thought out and are stuck for ideas on where to start.
Here are a few key points to help you start designing your new alfresco area:
1) Design for the space
This means allocating lighting where it’s really needed. We find most people generally don’t move their table and furniture around as much as they thought they would. The BBQ quite often has its place as well as the dining table and sitting areas. To ensure you get the best lighting for these areas position the lights directly overhead or angle from as close by to minimise any glare. Lights are best placed above the dining table so the light isn't in anyone eyes, and its always nice to see what you are eating. The same applies for the BBQ, but you need to carefully consider the placement of the light so you or your BBQ hood don't cast shadows over your cooking. Often having a light on either side of the BBQ counteracts this problem.
If your outdoor entertaining space is away from the house make sure you consider lighting along the walk ways. The last thing you want to do is trip over on your way back to the house with a plate full of tender steaks. This can be done by either using wall lights, in ground lights or bollards. Remember, lighting should be practical as well as providing ambiance.
2) Create versatility
To really enjoy your outdoor room you should have good lighting over your table area, near the BBQ/Outdoor Kitchen, and near steps and doorways, but these lights don’t all need to be turned on together. Have a couple of switching options to allow you to control the lighting when and where it’s needed. One way we like to do this for existing homes is by using a remote control as it can be a lot more cost effective than getting an electrician out to wire back into the house. It also allows the home owner to control their lighting from wherever they are sitting, inside or out.
3) Create Ambiance
When dinner is finished why not turn the light down using a dimmer switch, or turn them off completely and have a few features lit around the place. The modern wall lights that shine up and down are a great way to provide soft indirect lighting around an outdoor area and often create a feature in themselves. Deck lighting or low wall lights are another discreet way of adding a touch of elegance, helping guide people around an area without being too intense. Many hotels and landscape designers use this type of lighting in outdoor areas as it provides a very relaxed feel in conjunction with a sense of safety.
If you need any help designing your outdoor lighting please email us with photos so we can help guide you through the process.
Troy & Andrea Merchant
