Top 4 Best Pet-Proofing Landscape Lighting Tips

At Nite Time Décor Oakville, we often tell prospective customers to think about how they use their outdoor space before selecting and installing an outdoor lighting design for their home. This also includes how their furry family members use the space too.

So we’ve compiled 4 great tips for homeowners for pet-proofing their landscape lighting.

It’s a simple piece of advice, but it goes a long way. Some homeowners know they want an outdoor lighting design, but don’t know where to start. If you stop for a moment and really think about how you use your outdoor space, it will allow you to create an outdoor lighting design that is perfectly suited to your needs.

What homeowners sometimes fail to think about it not how they use their outdoor space, but who is using the outdoor space. Perhaps you like to sit out and relax under the stars, or barbeque a nice late-night meal. Maybe you have teenagers who like to use the hot tub or play board games on the patio.

When you consider who uses the space and how they like to use it, don’t forget about your four-legged fury friends!

Most times, your dog  or cat is the one who uses your outdoor space the most, so it’s only fair that you consider them when selecting and installing an outdoor lighting system so its pet-proof. To make sure everyone in your family can enjoy your outdoor lighting design, follow these four pet-proofing tips.

Protect Wires

Dogs, like young children, do not understand the concept and associated dangers of electrical wires. This means that you need to protect any electrical wires that are a part of your outdoor lighting design.

At Nite Time Décor, our experienced team will professionally install your outdoor lighting design and make sure all electrical wires are out of sight and protected.

If you’ve performed a do-it-yourself installation or have had your outdoor lighting design installed by someone who is not a professional, you run the risk of having exposed electrical wires. If this is the case, contact our talented team at Nite Time Décor to have the exposed wires re-installed and ensure the safety of your pets and loved ones.

Create Barriers

If your four-legged friend likes to snoop or dig round the lawn and garden, it’s best to create barriers between your light fixtures and your pet. Decorative rocks act as great barriers. Simply place decorative rocks around your fixtures or overtop of areas that have underlying wires to ensure your pet does not accidentally uncover fixtures or wires.

Remove Vegetation Barriers

While creating barriers between your dog’s paws and light fixtures is a good pet-proofing technique, you’ll want to prune back or remove vegetation barriers that might surround your fixtures.  Excessive vegetation or foliage can camouflage your fixtures and might cause your pet to unknowingly uncover a fixture – or potential chew toy – while snooping through the garden one day.

Conduct Regular Checks

The best way to discover a potential hazard before it becomes a danger to you or your furry friend is to perform regular checks around your home and landscape. Look for damaged fixtures or bulbs, or chewed wires. Exposed wires, broken bulbs and damaged fixtures are all hazards that can put you, your family and your pet at risk.

Contact Nite Time Décor

Pet-proofing your home and outdoor lighting design is the responsible thing to do if you have dogs or pets that enjoy your outdoor space as much – or even more – than you do. To increase safety, contact our lighting experts at Nite Time Décor to perform your pet-proofing service, or have our team professionally install your next outdoor lighting design.

We serve homeowners and businesses throughout Mississauga, Burlington, Oakville, Halton and Hamilton regions.

When it comes to outdoor lighting, most people think of illuminating front entrances or walkways, large backyards, or beautiful trees and gardens. While these areas are great to highlight in a landscape lighting design created for large outdoor spaces, it’s also important to remember that small spaces – like patios and balconies – can also benefit from an outdoor lighting design.

Why Illuminate Your Small Space

Just like illuminating any large outdoor space, adding some light to a patio, deck or balcony for after the sun has gone, allows you to create some valuable extra living space. Let’s face it, the patio or balcony is great for relaxing during the daylight, but when the sun sets and the daylight fades, the use of your patio or balcony can become limiting. Why not enjoy your outdoor space as much as possible?

With the right outdoor lighting design you can create a warm, calming atmosphere perfect for entertaining guests or relaxing under the stars.

To get you started with planning the perfect outdoor lighting design for your small space, we’ve compiled a list of important aspects to consider before making any purchases, as well as some popular lighting design choices you may want to incorporate into your new lighting design this summer.

Common Use of the Space

When it comes to creating an outdoor lighting design for a small patio or balcony, you’ll first want to determine how you will be using the space most often. Will you be outside after dark barbequing, eating, relaxing with a cold drink, reading a book or entertaining guests? When you’ve identified what the common use for the space will be, it will be much easier to decide what kind of lighting design to install and where exactly to install it.

Map Out the Space

Before you begin creating an outdoor lighting design for your small space, it’s important to map out the area before getting started with the installation.  If there are windows or glass doors directly facing your balcony or patio, you’ll want to consider this when deciding on the right lighting options. For example, if your balcony directly faces a bedroom window or living room door, you will want to use low, subtle lighting to avoid shining light into the living space of your neighbours, or even other family members within your household.

String Lights

String lights are a very common lighting design choice for small spaces, and the best thing about string lights is they never go out of style. Another added benefit of this lighting option is the flexibility thy offer. Depending on your space and budget, you can hang string lights across the top of your outdoor space, wrap them around railings or incorporate them within the greenery of your patio or balcony.

Warm Coloured LED Bulbs

To create a relaxing and cozy atmosphere for your outdoor space, you’ll want to consider warm coloured LED bulbs. LED lights can withstand the extreme elements of Mother Nature while also providing an aesthetically-pleasing glow that will make you want to stay curled up on your patio or balcony all night long.

Contact Nite Time Décor

Whether you’re looking for more information on illuminating your small outdoor space, or you’re searching for popular outdoor lighting trends for the summer season, contact our team of lighting design experts today. We’d be happy to help you create the outdoor space you’ve been dreaming of! Serving homeowners and businesses in Mississauga, Burlington, Oakville, Halton and Hamilton region.

DIY vs Professionally Installed Outdoor Lighting – What is the Best?

The summer outdoor entertaining season is almost upon us. Is your yard guest-worthy? Why let all that hard landscaping effort go to waste once the sun goes down? With well-placed lighting, you can enjoy the beauty of your gardens and yard all night long. But lighting is expensive, we hear you.

Do you really need an expert or can you pull this off on your own?

DIY Projects

Budget

If your budget or interests dictate something simple like staked-in solar pathway lighting, definitely do that yourself.

The solar lighting is dependent on receiving enough sun so keep in mind how much sun that area receives, and how important it is to have good light year round. In winter especially, solar powered devices may be weaker than in the peak summer months. You’ll likely have to replace them frequently, but that leaves lots of opportunities to change things up.

Cheaper Low-Voltage Products

There are a variety of boxed outdoor lighting sets in numerous shapes, sizes, and prices on the market. These are typically low-voltage units, and come with numerous fixtures but minimal wiring limiting the range and placement of lights. Often, these cheaper options come with poor quality fixtures, switches, timers, and parts. These types of sets typically come with a 1 year warranty, so replacing these parts may happen more frequently than you’re prepared for.

Durability

As soon as you place lighting outside, it’s at the mercy of the elements. Ask yourself if the set you have your eye on will stand up to Mother Nature twelve months of the year. Don’t throw away your hard-earned money. Plastic parts and cheap components will only cause more headaches down the road.

DIY Skillset

DIYers need to honestly evaluate their skill level. Do you have a good working knowledge of electrical parts and components? The heartbreaking consequences of these mistakes can’t be fixed with money.

 

Professional Installation

Here are five great reasons why we think hiring a professional will pay off in the end and make you glad you never went DIY.

Experience

Landscape lighting designers have extensive experience on a large variety of projects. They understand what’s essential for outdoor lighting and will help you realize your dreams for lighting those outdoor spaces while keeping your budget in mind.

They understand what works well together and what doesn’t. They can see the overall project and understand how smaller changes affect the big picture.

Professional lighting experts will work with you to help personalize your system with your own sense of style, while showing you the available options each step of the way and making suggestions that will help bring the whole system together into one cohesive lighting design.

Safety

Professional outdoor lighting designers and installers are trained in working with electricity and electrical systems. It only takes one wrong move when dealing with electricity and you are dealing with damage to the equipment and wiring or worse to you or a loved one.

Understanding how to work around other utilities means they know who to contact for proper locates and how to design and work around them safely without compromising your vision for illuminating those outdoor spaces after dark.

The DIY handyman needs to honestly assess whether they’re comfortable working with electricity (sometimes electricity and water), heights, or digging.

Safety for everyone is a priority before, during and after the installation of your outdoor lighting system. Experienced lighting designers understand electrical code and inspection requirements and will work with the local authorities to ensure all required permits and inspections are completed.

Fixture Selection

For the average homeowner, fixture selection is limited to what is available at the local hardware store. This is not the case for Nite Time Decor or other professional lighting service companies. Landscape lighting service providers have access to many different high-quality manufacturers and suppliers (many unavailable in big box stores) and can help you choose not just an adequate fixture for each space, but the fixture best suited to the aesthetic, budget and lighting requirements for that space. With Nite Time Decor, your options are endless when it comes to available fixtures and styles.

Outdoor Lighting Design

Professional installation means that your yard won’t look like everyone else’s on the block.

Whether you’re looking to enhance curb appeal, provide better security, or provide ambiance to your yard after dark, professionals will recommend fixtures and elements, with varying bulb wattage and colours, prevent annoying glares and creepy shadows, and ensure distinctive highlights are prominent.

At Nite Time Decor our talented team of designers offer beautiful illuminating ideas for all types of properties, including commercial highrises, nightclubs, restaurants, and residential properties. From big installations to small repairs, Nite Time Decor offers all of the products and services needed to meet your unique lighting requirements.

Warranty and Maintenance

Most lighting companies including Nite Time Decor, stand behind their work and will work with you until it’s done to your satisfaction. The provide a warranty for their lighting fixtures. They can help you understand the programming and regular maintenance of your system. They will be there for you long after the installation is complete. Having a good maintenance plan and ongoing support is value that cannot be replaced when installing your own DIY outdoor lighting system.

Those are just a few of the many benefits of hiring a professional landscape lighting designer and installer to help you with your outdoor lighting project. 

Contact Landscape Lighting Experts

Landscape lightings adds visual interest to your home while simultaneously making it safer and increasing its property value. If you would like to discuss your landscape lighting project, or request a free estimate, contact Nite Time Decor today!

Why are floodlights outdated?

Too often security lighting comes in the form of floodlights. Regardless of how effective they are for lighting up a space – and even then, are they? – these ugly monstrosities of outdoor lighting create an eyesore on your lovely home. Say no to the floodlight with modern security landscape lighting Oakville! Not only are floodlights on the corner of homes highly flawed in their execution, but they can also create dark areas that are perfect for unwanted intruders.

So how else can you protect your home? Read on to find out about the flaws in floodlights and the modern solutions from Nite Time Décor Oakville landscape lighting services.

Problem #1: Unsightly aesthetic

Let’s uncover the most evident downside to floodlights before we go any further. Floodlights, if posted on poles around your home, may provide ample lighting. Yet, there’s also something about floodlights on posts that make them appear straight from a prison yard.

To solve this problem, most homeowners put floodlights on the corners of their homes instead. As you’ll see, this causes its own set of problems with outdoor lighting. And to top it all off, these types of lights don’t look anymore attractive or welcoming to guests on the corners of your home as they do on posts around the yard.

 

Problem #2: The light that cried wolf

Floodlights are hooked up to sensors that flip on when an intruder passes by. The problem is that most of the time your floodlight can’t tell the difference between a cat and a burglar. If the sensor has been adjusted to precise perfection, then you may get an effective sensor that only lights up for burglars. Otherwise, your neighbours and you will be so used to seeing the light flip on that you may not make a move when it actually matters.

Problem #3: Short life span

Floodlights, in comparison to almost every other landscape lighting fixture, have short lifespans. Usually these types of lights are on a photocell, which burns out easily, particularly if it’s flipping on regularly.

Problem #4: Dark spaces

When floodlights are on the side of buildings, they tend to light up huge areas of space while leaving many other areas in the dark. If you do happen to have Nite Time Décor Oakville landscape lighting services in other areas, the floodlights will ruin the aesthetic.

If you don’t have other outdoor lighting, then these floodlights are making perfect entry points for burglars and other trespassers with the dark, forgotten gaps.

Solutions: Nite Time Décor landscape lighting services

Nite Time Décor offers outdoor lighting that will provide both an appealing aesthetic, and safety and security to your home. Our lifetime maintenance guarantee offers excellence and security.

Though this article is on commercial security lighting, it will provide some useful information about how to light up your yard with landscape lighting without sacrificing either security or beauty.

The thing to remember is to cover up dark patches along walls, fences, trees, and pathways. Once you do that, you’ll just need to add in some design tips from one of the pros to gain highly functional, gorgeous Nite Time Décor landscape lighting services.

Begin your landscape lighting design and installation today with a complimentary light demo and quote from Nite Time Décor Oakville.

There’s something to be said for living in the country. The peaceful serenity, the quiet calm, wide-open spaces – you simply can’t find these qualities in the city. That being said, cottage and country life also comes with its unique challenges. For example, you have to be much more self-reliant when it comes to your landscape lighting. You won’t find streetlights or business lights on rural roads; when it comes to evening ambiance, you’re going to have to create your own with a well designed and installed landscape lighting system.

Benefits of Landscape Lighting

Landscape lighting is an excellent tool to accent and enhance certain features of your rural property and exterior home décor.  Whether you want to light up your front yard or back deck for safety, social occasions, deter thieves by illuminating the house, or draw attention to the beautiful foliage around your home, an outdoor lighting service can work with you to create the mood you’re looking for.

Go For a Natural Look

When you’re installing low voltage or LED outdoor lighting around your rural property the last thing you want is for it to look unnatural. Avoid harsh glare and odd reflections by following these tips from our  landscape lighting experts:

Light From Above

Soft outdoor lighting from above imitates nature. Think of how the moon shines through the trees on an especially clear night – this is the look our Nite Time Decor Oakville landscape lighting experts are trying to mimic when they install downlighting fixtures.

Moon lighting, as the name implies, mimics the light of the moon.  It creates a soft, ethereal moonlight effect that shines down on your landscape.  In addition to the light, its other effect is to create a natural shadow, similar to the moon. Romantic and whimsical, moonlighting is a great way to set the mood on a rural property.

Stick to a Low Wattage Bulb

Not only will this help you keep your lighting natural looking, it will also keep your utility bills low, which is always a nice bonus. Using low wattage bulbs will help you avoid harsh over-lighting, leaving your lawn bathed in a subtle glow.

Look for LEDs

When it comes to low wattage lighting, LEDs are a great option. Not only are they extremely efficient (LEDs have an energy efficiency rating between 80%-90%), they provide light designers with a high level of control over light disbursement.  Other benefits include LED light are environmentally friendly, cost effective, durable, and don’t attract bugs!  To learn more about the great benefits of LED lights, read this article, “Top 13 Benefits Of LED Outdoor Lighting.”

Types of Lighting to Consider Around Your Rural Property

When it comes to lighting your rural property you’ll want to make sure of a few important factors. First, you don’t want to use too much light as that could result in light trespass and unnecessary light pollution. Second, you need to ensure that enough light is used to ensure the safety and security of your property.

To do this, we suggestion incorporating the following lighting ideas and fixtures into your Oakville landscape lighting design:

Driveway Lights

Illuminate your long, winding country lane with strategically placed driveway lights in order to increase the safety and aesthetic appeal of your property. Post lanterns, bollards, and entry piers can add a nice touch of class to your slice of country life.

Motion Sensors

These lighting fixtures can be especially useful around outbuildings, like storage sheds and barns. Our Oakville landscape lighting experts also recommend positioning motion-activated lights so that they shine down on any parking areas on your property. This will help provide any visitors with an increased sense of safety when entering or exiting their vehicles.

Tree Highlights

If you live in the country, chances are your yard features more than a few gorgeous old trees. Shine a light on their beauty once the sun goes down with strategically placed downlights or spotlights. Try and pick a nice mix of trees – ones that have dense foliage and other that have a lighter canopy. This will enable you to use a number of different lighting techniques, creating a truly unique and mesmerizing final design.

Contact Nite Time Decor Today!

Bring light to your rural property while respecting your  rural surroundings and reducing light pollution. Contact one of our Nite Time Decor Oakville landscape lighting experts today to learn more about rural lighting ideas or to book your free outdoor lighting consultation and light demo. We also serve homes and businesses in Mississauga, Burlington, Halton and the Hamilton regions.

Have you ever noticed how a few strategically placed lamps can change the entire ambiance of a room? Well, the same can be said for your front porch! Whether your home boasts a beautiful wrap-around deck or a small front stoop, there are plenty of things that you can do to improve the overall look and feel of your front entry. Entryway lighting is crucial for setting the mood and inviting in your guests, so don’t hold back. Make the most of your front entrance lighting with a professionally designed and installed outdoor lighting system from Nite Time Décor.

The Romance of Porch Lights

What does a well-lit porch mean to you? For years, leaving the porch light on was a symbol telling neighbours that you were home and ready to socialize. It was a welcoming beacon in the middle of a dark night. A warm embrace after a long day of work. When the light was left on, it meant that someone cared enough to turn it on; someone was waiting.

Now, thanks to custom designed outdoor lighting systems, you can recreate this same feeling with unique lighting effects and romantic walkway lighting without having to flick a switch!

How to Perfectly Light Your Front Entrance

Your front door and porch lighting is important for three reasons:

It makes an impression.

Whether it’s through down lights or spotlighting, the proper lighting techniques can change the entire look and feel of your property. Whether you’re hoping to create a grandiose look or execute a contemporary feel, our technicians can suggest the right lighting fixtures and techniques to play up your home’s unique features.

It improves safety.

The right lighting is key to reducing trip hazards around your front door. Combine them with path lighting to create a whimsical path towards your home.

It extends the living area outside by illuminating windows.

Homes that lack porch lighting are often cast in deep, dark shadows, especially around windows. Remove “black holes” from the front of your property with professionally placed landscape lighting.

Size Matters

In our experience most homeowners tend to choose entry lighting fixtures that are too small for their porch or entryway. This is especially the case with homes that have large front doors and tall porch ceilings.

When it comes to wall-mounted lights, our Nite Time Decor outdoor lighting experts recommend fixtures that are anywhere from 1/4 to 1/3 the height of the door. Alternatively, you can opt for spotlights and up-lighting fixtures to case a warm glow on the door.

The Dos and Don’t of Porch Lighting

When it comes to perfecting your porch lighting, it pays to take your time and really assess your design needs. What’s more, you’ll want to use the lights properly once they’re installed. As such, it’s important that you…

Don’t leave the lights on all night. This will waste power, causes light pollution and could potentially anger your neighbours. Instead, request that our Nite Time Decor landscape lighting experts install a timer on your  lighting system. This will ensure that your porch light turns on and off on a set schedule.

Don’t just turn the light on when you’re alone or feel vulnerable. Doing so could put you in danger. Instead, do turn set your front entrance lights to come on automatically.

Don’t leave the light on 24-hours a day when you’re away on vacation. Make sure that it’s set to turn on with your outdoor lighting system.

Do realize that indoor lights can help enhance the look and safety of your porch as well.

Things to Consider When Planning New Porch Lighting

Safety First

When choosing your outdoor lighting design, there are a few qualities you’ll want to consider. Of course, safety is a major concern. Lighting up your front entrance takes nighttime risks away, but there are certain areas in particular that will be easy and efficient to illuminate. These include:

1.Stairways
2.Doorways
3.Edges
4.Railings

By adding a bit of soft lighting to these features, you’re able to alert visitors to areas that may have otherwise caused injuries or accidents. What’s more, our warranty ensures that your Nite Time Decor outdoor lighting design will always be in proper operating condition, creating a safe and beautiful yard and entrance for many years to come.

Avoid the Glare

It’s also a good idea to consider softening your outdoor lighting, in order to reduce unwanted glare or a sickly colouring. Conventional exterior lights often glare down from the ceiling of a porch or off the walls of a house. Not only is this blinding, but it detracts from the safety that a lighting system is intended to add.

With new lighting technology you can create a more comfortable atmosphere. You’ll find that modern outdoor lighting designs include multiple fixtures at a low voltage. This creates an atmosphere that’s both aesthetically pleasing and safe.

Variety is Key

When you conceptualize your outdoor lighting design, you’ll want to look at a variety of fixtures to increase the form and function of your door and porch area.

Here are some ideas for lighting up your porch in a way that suits your personal style, without neglecting function. If you’re in need of some examples, our gallery features a number of great examples.

Accenting: These fixtures provide downcast lighting from walls, posts, or railings. Nite Time Décor’s downlight is great for accenting, and provides a soft, overhead lighting to accent walls or stairs.

Post Lighting: These fixtures are positioned at the top of posts or railways to illuminate a large space. Our area light is great for walkways and large decks and porches that require additional light from above. Don’t be fooled by the aesthetics of the lamp – functionality isn’t neglected for aesthetics, and it beautifully lights up any area in which you want to avoid accidents and injuries.

Recessed Lights: These lights are not only great for illuminating your space, but also for space saving. These are installed right into your deck floor or lawn to light from the bottom up. Recessed light fixtures have many uses: around stairs and decks to avoid tripping, around ponds to stop someone from falling in, or around gardens to prevent trampling by a wandering visitor.

If you’re looking to achieve this effect, you may be interested in our in ground well lights. If you don’t want in ground lights, but like the idea of lighting from the bottom up, you may wish to try a spotlight, or above ground well light.

Contact Nite Time Decor

Dress up the front entrance of your home with beautiful custom designed and installed lighting from Nite Time Décor. Contact our outdoor lighting designers today for a free consultation.

Top 3 Pet Friendly Lighting and Landscaping Ideas

If you’ve ever owned a pet, you know these fuzzy creatures are as much a part of your family as your own flesh and blood. Adorable and fun to cuddle, cats and dogs make for great companions in almost any home. However, let them out into your yard to play and that relationship can quickly sour. As a loving owner, you want to make sure that your pet is healthy and happy. As a homeowner, you want to keep your home, yard and landscape lighting system in tip-top shape.

The key to keeping everyone happy? Compromise. Your yard can look great and provide a safe space for your pet to play – both during the day and at night.

Here are some ideas to help you pet-proof your property from our Burlington landscape lighting company.

Idea #1: Pets Will Be Pets

Your pet spends just as much (if not more!) time in your yard as you. As such, shouldn’t you make an effort to ensure the space is suited to their needs too? Whether it’s including a grassy area for afternoon naps, or a flood light for late night bathroom breaks, accommodating your pets’ needs with these pet friendly ideas, will go a long way to improving the harmony in your home, and the overall beauty of your yard. Of course, animals are going to have some annoying habits – digging and chewing are two of the most frustrating – but even these issues can be managed with a little planning and perseverance.

For diggers, consider creating an area in your yard designated for this activity – preferably away from any buried landscape lighting wires. Encourage your pet to bury bones and other toys here in order to salvage the rest of your lawn.

If your old landscape lighting system has exposed electrical wires, do yourself and your pet a favour and contact our maintenance department at Nite Time decor landscape lighting specialists today. When installed properly, your landscape lighting systems should be pet proofed and be of no concern to your pet. However, regular maintenance is required to ensure that all components are properly protected and/or buried.

Idea #2: Take Preventative Measures

Protect your home and landscape lighting system from the potential of pet damage by instituting some simple preventative measures. For instance, if digging is definitely an issue with your pet, consider placing decorative rocks or paving stones around garden areas or landscape lighting fixtures. Raised areas, such as flower beds, are also a great option as the differing elevations makes them difficult for digging.

Idea #3: Keep Safety in Mind

Keep your pets’ health and safety in mind when selecting your landscaping vegetation and outdoor lighting materials. It’s worth noting that cats are more likely to nuzzle and chew on plants; if you have a few feline friends at your house, consider pruning and cutting down on the amount of ground cover vegetation that’s growing around your landscape lighting fixtures. Instead, plant a pet friendly garden of catnip, cat thyme, mint, or valerian somewhere safely away from your system.

At Nite Time Décor, we’re careful to avoid the use of sharp metal edging in order to protect sensitive paws. We also take special precautions to ensure that all of the electrical wiring and mechanical components of your system are safely out of reach of your pet.

Contact Nite Time Decor Today!

Pets are curious creatures by nature. As a pet owner, it’s your responsibility to ensure a safe and healthy environment is available to explore. Improve the look of your property will at the same time keeping your pet out of harms way with professional pet friendly landscaping and lighting services from Nite Time Décor. Call 1-800-952-3006 for more information or book a free onsite consultation using our online quoting system.

Ah, nothing says summer like kicking back and relaxing on a waterfront deck or patio. If you’re one of the lucky folks who owns waterfront property in the Burlington, Oakville, and Hamilton area, chances are good that you’re the envy of all your friends. And for good reason. The sound of the surf, the warm, moist breeze, the sand between your toes… there’s nothing quite like sitting next to the water.

Even though they live in paradise, waterfront property owners are forced to deal with their own unique mix of landscaping upgrades and maintenance projects. This includes the installation of outdoor lighting systems. While moonlit water is often lighting enough for your waterfront home, many people opt for outdoor lighting in order to enhance the aesthetics and safety of their waterfront property. If properly done, this addition can enhance the value of your home, transforming a beautiful property into something truly breathtaking.

Consider Your Lighting Options

There are many unique challenges involved in designing a waterfront  outdoor lighting system. First off, you want to make sure you select the right materials for your design. Remember, exposure to moist air can take its toll on your fixtures. When selecting the various lighting components for your system, be sure to consult with one of our lighting experts in order to ensure that the fixtures you select are durable and water resistance. Our technicians recommend avoiding brass and copper fixtures; bronze lighting fixtures are far more resistant to storm and wind damage. What’s more, they have an understated appeal that will compliment your waterfront landscape nicely.

The wiring and transformers used to connect your light fixtures will also require special consideration. Your electrical components will need to be protected from the moisture-rich air. Our lighting designers will take this into consideration when pulling the components together for your Burlington outdoor lighting design.

Setting the Mood: Design Ideas

Once you’ve tackled technical considerations, it’s time to consider the mood that you want to portray.

Professionally designed and installed outdoor lighting illuminates beauty that already exists on your waterfront property. Obviously, the most beautiful element of your property is the water itself. In most cases, this is naturally lit by the moon and stars. As such, it’s our outdoor lighting designers job to build off of this ambiance when lighting the rest of your property. In most cases, this will call for subdued lighting with a natural, moonlit feel.

The following are a few design tricks from the Nite Time Décor design book:

Direct Landscape Lighting Towards the Water

The best way to highlight your waterfront property is to let your lighting allow for a subtle view of the water. Position your outdoor lighting fixtures on landscape elements that guide your eye towards the water. If you have pathways or walkways, try lining these areas with smaller fixtures for safe evening strolls.

Light Up Trees, Passageways, Decks and Patios

 

Mimic moonlight by placing fixtures in the canopy of trees; position the light to provide safe passage and usability on decks and patios.

Even out the glow by spacing your outdoor lighting fixtures evenly throughout your property. This will provide balance to your property.

Enhancing the night-time experience of a waterfront landscape can only be achieved with intelligent, low voltage lighting. A subtle glow and strategically placed fixtures will help accentuate the inherent beauty of your property in just the right way.

Contact Nite Time Decor

For more waterfront lighting tips and tricks, contact the Nite Time Decor outdoor lighting experts today. We’d be happy to send one of our talented design reps to your property for a complimentary site assessment and lighting demo. We serve homeowners and businesses throughout Hamilton, Halton, Mississauga, Burlington and Oakville.

Lighting up your home is a large undertaking. But with the proper landscape lighting services you don’t have to struggle to have a beautiful after-dusk landscape. The benefit of Nite Time Décor’s outdoor lighting designs is that you can accentuate the unique aspects of your home. If you have a chimney, then this is the perfect feature to highlight as they are becoming increasingly rare with the decline in natural fireplaces.

Chimney lights may seem like a strange addition to your home’s architectural lighting design. However, a lot of lighting service technicians love lighting up the exterior of a fireplace as they can be a unique aspect of a home’s visage. If you have a chimney that you wish to accent on your home, be careful. Improper lighting could create some unintended shadowing. Here are some tips to battle this creative design prospect.

Why light up a chimney?

Why you should include your chimney in your architectural lighting design?
Fireplaces create a focal point indoors and outdoors. If they are wood burning fireplaces then they are the tallest section of your house, and therefore one of the most visible aspects from the street. It also singles out your home as architecturally unique.

As more and more homeowners go for electric or gas fireplaces, fewer homes will have the tall smoke stack. Homeowners can still add decorative pieces on the brick of the gas fireplace, so adding architectural lighting would look great too.

What are some problems that could occur?

One of the most important things to remember about chimney lighting is that it’s extremely important to have an  architectural lighting service expert install the fixtures. One of our experts will ensure that the job is done safely and done well.

Some chimneys are not visible until they rise to the roofline. This could cause some issues in proper placement of lighting fixtures. Our spotlight would light up your smoke stack beautifully if placed just above the eaves trough.

Architectural lighting design tips

There are a few things you’ll want to remember when lighting your chimney. Here are some tips to keep in mind when planning your design:

Accenting

If you discuss chimney illumination with a lighting service technician, one of the essential aspects that they will cover is highlighting key architectural aspects. If you have anything near your fireplace that may prove to be a focal point – such as gargoyles or other statues – that is something you’ll want to draw attention to.

Up lighting vs. Down lighting

Do you want your chimney lit from above, or below? Of course, this will also depend on whether or not your fireplace rises from the ground up or can only be seen at the roofline. Look at the placement of other lighting fixtures on your home to see if up lighting or down lighting will create a cohesive façade in your architectural lighting design.

Recessed lights

Do you want the lighting fixture to remain in sight, or invisible? This is entirely about personal taste. Remember, though, that there are fewer options for rooftop lighting than for ground lighting, where post lights are available.

Think eco-friendly

LED lights may be an option for you if you want to protect your wallet, and help save Mother Nature from unnecessary electrical usage. LED lights are becoming more and more popular.

You may be thinking that LEDs are expensive. While this is true of the initial costs, the long-term savings will exceed the original expense. You’ll also be taking a progressive stance in reducing your carbon footprint. Just by buying a different light bulb!

We are can help!

If you have any questions regarding specific chimney lighting preferences, contact one of our architectural light service specialists today.

To get started on your architectural lighting design, request your complimentary lighting demo and quote from Nite Time Décor today. Serving homeowners and businesses throughout Halton, Hamilton including Oakville, Burlington and Mississauga.

How to Light Up Your Backyard Event with Landscape Lighting

There are several elements to hosting a memorable backyard event. You need the right weather, delicious food, good company and the right landscape lighting system to set the mood. But lighting does more than create ambiance; a great outdoor lighting system can also perform functional tasks such as providing cues or segues for presentations. Use landscape lighting to highlight water features or architectural pieces, or make it the décor itself.

Here’s how to light up your backyard using outdoor landscape lighting:

Give Your Landscape Lighting System a High-Tech Feel

Over the years, lighting technology has become more sophisticated, greatly improving the quality and flexibility of landscape lighting. However, high-tech doesn’t always mean high-impact. If you’re looking to create a big lighting bang for not a lot of bucks at your next outdoor event, don’t assume you need a state-of-the-art system. Simply contact Nite Time Décor and ask about our outdoor lighting system options. Our systems can be modified to feature coloured lighting or repositioned in order to create different effects and highlights on the features you want to stand out:

• Put the spotlight on your garden with our mini wash light.
• Illuminate tall features such as trees, statues or walls with our spotlight.
• Shed some light on a pathway with a little help from our area lights.

There are plenty of alternatives, so don’t just turn a porch light on. Instead, illuminate your life with a professionally designed and installed outdoor lighting system. We have solutions to satisfy a wide range of budgets.

Keep It Discreet

The effects of our landscape lighting are pretty, but sometimes you want the lighting effects themselves to be the only thing that’s seen. One cost-effective option is to use a high wattage, bright light on a high strand. From there you can use reflective materials, such as foil or gossamer silk. Scrim is a translucent cloth that will really bring your landscape lighting system to life. Scrim can be put on walls or ceilings and it can be used with par cans, spot lights, or other lights.

Use Your Landscape Lighting System Intelligently

The secret to event lighting involves matching the movement and colour of the light to the mood of the event décor, theme, music, and vibe. More extravagant systems require a computer to operate, but simplistic ones just have a colour filter or maybe a dimmer so you can get the effect that you want.

One way to use intelligent lighting is to push the envelope with your landscape lighting. A person’s sense of what’s visually appealing can be manipulated using design; if you’re in the process of planning an outdoor event, now is the opportune time to consult with an expert at Nite Time Décor for outdoor lighting ideas. Don’t shy away from new trends – let the light stream in!

Different Ideas for Your Outdoor Event

Try lining aisles in your backyard with lights, such as our area lights or tiki torches. This looks especially nice in a dimly lit setting.

Try hanging lights from a high point, such as in a tree, or attached to your home. A nice effect is several lights going across one another. Alternatively, one strong light can make a statement on its own.

Contact the Professionals

Don’t leave your backyard in the dark! Contact Nite Time Décor for a free lighting demo and consultation and find out how to bring out the beauty in your yard.  We design and install custom landscape lighting to homes, cottages and businesses throughout Hamilton, Halton, Burlington, Oakville and Mississauga, Ontario.