Dress Up Your San Diego Home with Landscape Lighting

The real estate market may be in a slump, but most people don't want to lose money on their biggest investment so instead of moving they're improving their homes. The trend towards expanding outdoor living space has been growing for some time now.

Since we in San Diego live in a year round warm weather climate, people are adding decks, patios, gazebos and outdoor kitchens to their homes, and they aren't just planning to use them in the daytime.

In past years, the goal was focused on lighting the space and showing off the garden and landscaping. Now we're concentrating a lot more effort on finding innovative ways to light outdoor spaces so they can be used at night, much like they're used during the day.

Backyard decks no longer just have a small light near the door. Landscape Lighting designers are now installing landscape lighting down lights in trees and attaching them to chimneys to shine landscape lighting light down on the space. These landscape lighting designers also are putting in a lot of landscape lighting step lights to make the transition from the upper to lower level easier. People no longer have to feel like they're under a spotlight when they sit outside under the stars. If there's a tree nearby, we can shine landscape lighting light down from it. Attaching fixtures to a chimney is also a nice way to get light from above that feels like moonlight.

And when it comes to lighting outdoor kitchens, innovation is key. "We do a lot of task lighting with landscape lighting in the outdoor kitchen," says Danny Oskam of Green-Go Landscape Co. “We'll utilize the arbors to hang landscape lighting task lighting over the sink, the grill and the table, for example, and put them on dimmers so when the light isn't needed, it can be turned down for mood."

Danny Oskam credits the recent innovations offered by various landscape lighting manufacturers for making those projects possible. "Technology sure has come a long way in a short amount of time" Danny says. Other landscape lighting designers agree Manufacturers realize there's a growing market for outdoor fixtures and they have responded by stepping up to the challenge to develop chandeliers, table lamps and sconces that are rated for wet conditions so they can be safely installed outdoors.

Safety isn't the only factor being considered by landscape lighting manufacturers. So is operating cost. Not so long ago, the U.S. government mandated that the lighting industry find ways to cut energy consumption of their products. Lighting manufacturers responded coming out with a line of landscape lighting outdoor fixtures that use highly efficient L.E.D. bulbs that require one-third the energy of incandescent.

When people realize they can get the same light output, a nice comfortable color and reduce energy use by 75 percent, they are more than willing to make the change. There have been innovations in the area of landscape lighting for curb appeal purposes as well. Landscape lighting is about safety, security and aesthetics. As far as the latter goes, the key to success is being subtle. Less is always more.

All the landscape lighting designers and installers agree; lighting the outdoors is a trend that's here to stay, because people are investing in their homes more and more. Call Danny Oskam today to get some innovative outdoor lighting designs for improving the landscape appearance of your San Diego home.