For many people, summertime means more leisurely nights outdoors spent enjoying all that nature has to offer. Whether it be a quiet evening gazing at the stars or watching the kids catch fireflies in the yard.
A great landscape lighting design should enhance your time outdoors. For our latest project, the lighting at this lovely acreage in Ashland welcomes guests to the front entrance, elevates the outdoor areas, creates a whimsical play space for the grandkids, and improves overall safety at night.
Andrew "A.J." Coleman, designer at McKay Landscape Lighting, worked with the homeowners during this last phase of their lighting design.
Exterior Front Entrance Lighting:
The owners were renovating their front stoop. "We contemplated a few options for the lights on the steps. Instead of lining them straight up and creating harsh lines, we tapered them from the top out to make the entrance more visually appealing," says Coleman. "We installed uplights on certain trees to give the front yard some ambient light since it's rather dark at night. Path lights along the wooden walkway help guide people to the front door."
See more front entrance path lighting ideas»
Driveway Lighting:
The quarter-mile long driveway has uplights staggered on every other maple tree. "We have five on one side and four on the other, alternating trees to get light up and down the driveway." Colemans says, "This technique highlights the branching structure of the maple trees and creates interest."
See more driveway lighting ideas»
Pergola Lighting:
As part of the original design installed in 2014, downlights on the pergola illuminate the path and seating area at the end of the structure. There are also path lights in the vegetable garden on the right. The pergola lighting is part of the original design installed in 2014.
Tree House Lighting:
"We installed unique Firefly© Lights that hang in the branches of the tree canopy. It's fun for kids when they are playing. The artistic lights provide a soft glow and move with the wind, but there is enough weight that they don't move too much. The treehouse has post lights installed onto the railing, and a downlight shining on the ladder improves safety at night."
Deck Lighting:
The deck looks out onto the pergola and treehouse in the backyard. In the railing, post lights illuminate the deck perimeter and top and bottom steps. The walkway has path lights that guide you to other areas of the backyard.
Learn more about this subtle deck lighting application»
Backyard Tree Lighting:
A path meanders around the trees in the backyard. Coleman says, "The owners wanted to increase safety for when their grandkids walk along this path. We installed a few uplights on trees and then have downlights in the honey locus trees to illuminate the walkway."
Learn more ways to illuminate the trees in your yard»
Water Feature Lighting:
The property has a pondless water feature, about 20 years old, with three falls along the walking path in the backyard. A couple of downlights in the river birch tree shine down onto the water feature. There are some up lights on the trees in the background.
See our tips to elegantly enhance a water feature with landscape lighting»
Video Tour of the Landscape Lighting Design
Watch the video tour above or go to the gallery to see more photos of this stunning home.
Looking to Enhance Your Property?
Our dedicated team at McKay Landscape Lighting works with you to create a custom landscape lighting design that's unique to your property. From design to installation to service, you can count on our team of experts to make sure you are happy with your lighting system for years to come.
