Summertime and the livin’ is easy: warm nights out on the patio, grilling supper and sipping cold drinks. The sun hovers on the horizon well into the evening, but at some point, it always dips low enough that we need to flip on some artificial light.
If you’re replacing your patio or landscape lighting this season, keep that easy-going summer attitude in mind and look for easy-care, simple fixtures and lights.
Here’s what’s trending this year:
Eco-friendly lighting
“LEDs are the most energy-saving exterior source right now,” says Mark Naimer, president of Union Lighting, Canada’s largest lighting showroom.
Solar-powered LED (light-emitting diode) lights are the obvious eco-savvy choice, but even LED lights that draw their power from your home instead of the sun are environmentally sound. According to Naimer, they use a fraction of the energy used by traditional bulbs and last up to 50,000 hours, so each one can be a long-term investment.
Solar lights come with an added bonus, too: no cords. This means they can be moved from place to place or split up. Even a light or two in your potted plants on the patio can add just enough brightness to create a visible pathway or show off your gardening skills.
Dark, sturdy finishes
According to Naimer, cast aluminum is the most popular finish across Canada. “It’s an excellent choice for Canadian winters,” he says, because it won’t rust and the finish won’t change much over time. Plus, they’re sturdy and can stand an accidental hit or two from a shovel when we lose track of them in the winter.
In Toronto in particular, Naimer says dark finishes are most popular — “90 per cent of what we sell is dark in colour.”
However, much like the season’s vibrant outdoor furniture trends, some lighting is brightening up, too.
“Paper lanterns are coming back,” says Shannon Eckel-Braun, owner and principal stylist at The Design Factory in Kitchener-Waterloo. “I like clusters of three or four small ones together, hanging at different lengths.”
As for glass, Naimer says textured glass is gaining popularity. Seeded glass, for example, looks great even when it isn’t perfectly clean, and homeowners are always looking for low-maintenance pieces.
Ambient lighting
Create a soft, comfortable atmosphere with clusters of paper lanterns, rope lights or solar-powered tiki torches. Eckel-Braun says these are a nicer alternative to smoking, messy torches unless you are using them with citronella.
For those nights you end up lingering around the dinner table, a simple string of white twinkle lights (ie: Christmas lights) on the underside of your umbrella should be enough to illuminate the table so you can see everyone’s faces and maybe even play some cards.
Similarly, paper bags weighed down with sand and lit up by votive candles are an inexpensive way to temporarily create a pathway.
A softer glow
Outdoor LED lights for your garden and patio often come in the same range as holiday lights: everything from orange-yellow through various shades of white to stark blue.
“Softer white is easier on the eyes. It’s a clean, classic look, whereas any colour can be too much,” says Eckel-Braun.
Naimer agrees: “People feel the cool blue colours are a little sterile looking, so they’re opting for colours closer to a regular indoor bulb.”
Mid-range natural whites — closer to what most of us have indoors — are generally easier on the eyes and more subtle in landscaping.
Shopping tips
No matter the style of light you choose to brighten your yard, there are a few things to keep in mind when shopping:
•How much work is involved in installing the lights? Do you have to remove them each fall and put them out in the spring, or can they withstand the cold and snow?
•What will it cost to run the lights?
•Do these colours and finishes flow with the fixtures you have inside the house and/or match the rest of your outdoor decor?
•Is this an environmentally sustainable product?
No comments:
Post a Comment