The Art of Outdoor Illumination
There is hardly anything else in the field of home design that can be compared to craftily designed lights. If you want your home to look modern and secure, installing different lights around is a great option. You can choose from a variety of beautiful ready-made lights, but there are many creative DIY options, as well.
Natural illumination in back yard
If you want to surround your house with elements that are easily incorporated in the natural context of the back and front yard, seedpod lamps are an interesting solution. They are similar to cocoons, representing the symbol of new life. The case in which bulbs are placed is waterproof, so it can be safely used outdoors. Also, it is LED-friendly, but incandescent bulbs are acceptable, too. Finally, if you move to an apartment, you can simply put your cocoon lights onto posts and use them as regular floor lamps. There are different types of these nature inspired lamps. The safest choice is to buy them to ensure that they are sturdy as their designs can be quite intricate.
Moonlight in a jar
When talking about natural features in terms of outdoor home illumination, it is important to mention moon jars. They are ordinary jars that we use for pickles, but this time they are filled with a solar cell and an LED light. The way it works is really simple. You need to leave the jar with the equipment inside it exposed to the sun for a couple of hours. The sunlight will charge the battery. The next step is to put the jar(s) in the garden. It will look like dozens of little moons glowing in your yard. These jars can be bought, but if you need a larger number of items, it is more reasonable to make your own moon jars.
Christmas lights in different forms
No matter if it is the Christmas season or not, Christmas lights can always be used in many creative ways to decorate the area around your house.
Bottles with lights
A garden lined with empty beer or wine bottles filled with Christmas lights will look amazing. This is an easy DIY project. What you need here is several strings of Christmas lights. Make sure to measure the distances, to get the ones that are long enough. Secondly, go around liquor shops and buy some empty bottles. Buy only a few for starters, to see how it will work. Later go back for more and incorporate colors that will suit your garden best. If you are interested in making your own, here is a great DIY wine bottle project by Wit and Whistle. What’s fun with these lamps is that you can use them for your garden and patio, and later even indoors.
String-wrapped trees
A perfectly simple, yet effective idea for turning your garden into a glowing paradise is to wrap the trees in the garden into Christmas lights. Again, the variety of colors and options available for this simple project can make your garden look like simply adorable, (as if Clark Griswold decorated it). And if you have any concerns about fire hazards, have a look at what the Mythbusters have discovered about that matter.
House walls for light add-ons
It is not only the patio and the garden that can be used as platforms for outdoor lights. The walls of your house can also serve as great background for lighting. The key features here are the color of the walls and size of the house. It will determine both the number and the variety of lights. You can start with simple pendant lamps in different colors, hung in the porch area. If you like the effect, continue with some simple but attractive minimalist wall lights. What you should take care of is the balance between strong and simple design lines. Overdoing with richly ornamented features will make your house look ostentatious and kitschy.
Illuminating a house in a proper way can make a great difference. Just try to keep it simple and attractive. Avoid excessive lights and colors, but go for dim and discreet lighting. If done with taste, your home lighting will give your home a new esthetic and economic value.