When warm weather arrives, most people prefer to be outside as much as possible, making an outdoor space more than just a garden. Today, gardens are multi-purpose areas that reflect personal interests and personalities, and are often used for the same activities that take place indoors. A garden can serve as a much-needed retreat that – when well-designed and decorated – can help to increase a home’s liveable space.
Over the next 26 days, we’ll focus on the backyard by letter, with an A to Z guide, full of smart and stylish outdoor decor ideas, along with useful and unique garden elements.
Did we miss something? Tweet your photos and ideas @MovatoHome! Use this backyard bible to transform your outdoor area into a relaxing personal sanctuary that can be enjoyed all year round.
N – Night Lighting: This is the most important way to create the right mood and ambience. A well-planned lighting scheme is essential for highlighting your landscape and emphasizing its features.
When choosing task lighting for the exterior of the home, LED lights are a smart choice because of their energy efficiency, longevity and wireless options. LED fittings are available for most standard types of lighting, including lampposts, wall-mounted lights, spotlights, recessed spots, up-lighters and garden spikes.
Your source of decorative lighting can also come from products that aren’t typical forms of lighting. For example, a fire pit will create a beautiful warm glow. A neon-lit sign can add a sense of whimsy. Solar-powered floor lamps create a soft glow. Hanging lights or lanterns strung across a patio, on trees and in shrubs will look magical at night. Hurricane lamps look great when placed on either side of a staircase, positioned on every few steps. And year-round outdoor standing lamps (which look like indoor lamps, but come with all-weather light bulbs and waterproof, washable shades) will create a cozy, homey ambience.
This topic is extensive! For more information and ideas, check out these great websites: Landscape Lighting World, Cast Lighting and DIY Network.
Miss our last post from this A to Z guide? This guide is full of garden goodies, great ideas and practical solutions to help you create a summer-ready outdoor retreat. Just in case: A — Al fresco dining; B — Bunting; C — Cinema; D — Daybed; E — Eco Garden Room; F — Fire Pits; G — Glow-in-the-Dark Elements; H — Herb Garden; I — Irrigation System; J — Jumbo Joss Sticks; K — Kitchenette; L — Living Wall; M — Mosaics
IMAGE via Easy Living.
