Outdoor Accent Lighting, How to Use It Without Overdoing It|What Is Accent Lighting?|Using Accent Lighting Well on a Real Property

The definition nobody gives you

The difference between accent lighting and general lighting is intent. It is not coverage. One feature, lit deliberately, with the surroundings left dark. The dark part is not a gap in the plan. It is the reason the lit thing stands out.The concept takes one sentence and a lot of discipline. Choose two or three features and light nothing else. Every plan gets pressure to grow, from the homeowner and sometimes from the company selling fixtures.

What tends to earn it

Some things take light well and some do not. Anything with surface relief picks up light and shows it off, because light raking across a rough surface creates shadow and shadow creates interest. Smooth surfaces light up evenly and stay dull. Shape helps too: a strong silhouette, a distinct form.

The most common mistake

The failure mode is easy to describe: everything becomes an accent. One feature turns into six over a couple of conversations. At some point there is no dark left to contrast against, and the accents stop being accents. Restraint is the technique.The best accent plans tend to look almost underdone on paper and exactly right on the property at night, which is why they are hard to sell and easy to appreciate.

Accent lighting next to the other outdoor categories

Accent lighting rarely stands alone. Landscape lighting covers the beds, paths and trees more broadly. Security lighting deals with the places that need to be seen. Roofline work covers the building. It is what makes a plan look considered.

One more thing about brightness

Output is easy to get wrong upward. Your eyes adjust to darkness, so a small amount of light permanent christmas lights reads as a lot. You are creating a point of interest, not trying to read a book by it.

Uplight and downlight

Accent light arrives from one of two directions, and the two look nothing alike. Uplighting comes from below, so it feels staged, in a good way on the right subject. Downlighting comes from above, the way light normally does, so it feels natural and calm.

Accent lighting is not set and forget

Anything aimed at a tree or a shrub drifts out of alignment over the years. Growth blocks the throw, and mulch, mowing and weather move ground mounted units. It is a small thing that makes a big visual difference. Re aiming every couple of seasons keeps the plan looking the way it was designed to.Aim gets checked the same way the design was made: by walking out at night and seeing what the light is doing.

Having a plan drawn

The choices are property specific, so the plan begins with somebody coming out. EverCrest Lighting does accent lighting along with landscape, patio, security and permanent roofline systems for homes and businesses across Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, from Greenville. The consultation is free. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or [email protected].

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