Patio lighting can change the way your outdoor sitting area looks better than ever before. You can accentuate the good features and hide the corners that you do not want others to see.
Moreover, lighting can extend the usability of your outdoor space as it helps daylight, as well as evening occasions.
Whether you want the patio to be an outdoor dining area or a relaxing spot to enjoy an evening with family, the lighting can change the mood of the space.
Practical illumination and the effects that it can create are great, so we believe everyone must know how to hang patio lights to highlight furniture and the surroundings.
Several patio lighting ideas can add to the ambiance and the practical usability of your outdoor living space.
Patio Lighting Ideas
Patio lighting should be good enough for every individual to move around safely. Moreover, it should be sufficient to help see food items and eat in comfort.
Nevertheless, you do not want to over-light the place to cause a straining situation or to highlight the parts of the patio that you would not want to see. Similarly, you would like to maintain privacy by not making your sitting area visible from a distance.
The first step to identifying the right lighting arrangement would be to identify the few features that you want to accentuate. Is your patio a covered area or open?
If it is a covered area, ceiling light can be a good option. However, if you have open space, there can be many ways of decorating it with lights to make it look festive while serving the purpose.
Layering the Lights
The lighting can be planned while you design the patio space. If it is a lazy lounge, the lighting can be dim so that you can relax and de-stress when outdoors.
On the contrary, if it is a setting for a festive evening or dinner party with friends, you can add some more lights to make it look like a celebration.
Using colored lights between plants can also be a great way to uplift the look. Green lights under trees and red or blue lights behind bushes can elevate good moods and a happy feeling. Lining the trees or plants in pots with twinkle lights can also be a great idea.
Layering the lights means providing visibility lights or practical lights to the top of the sitting area. If it is an open space, you can run lines of small bulbs to illuminate it. Below these lights, around the sitting area, you can add colored or white light to accentuate corners.
If you are a Pinterest enthusiast like us, you might have come across many photos of patios lit with table lamps. It looks great, but the cords will keep you looking down while moving around the space.
Another thing with lamps is that they limit the scope of visibility to the sitting area only. You cannot see the surrounding plants and add them to the scenery.
Selecting the Right Colors
For patio settings, the right colors can make a lot of difference. The stark white light can be used for illumination and practical lighting.
However, yellows, greens, and blues are also good picks. Every color has a particular impact. If you stick to the yellow moonlight bulbs with an accent of green, blue, and orange, the impact will be soothing.
Moreover, you will be able to emphasize the plants and the sky by using the right colors at the right height.
You can select ceiling lights, strings of small twinkle lights, or even the big fat bulbs that are hung from a cord at the center of the room.
Another good option is the use of floodlights, but that would not be suitable for a dinner party where people have to get up to move around.
These floor-based lights can be blinding, although they do a great job of lighting up the elevation of the house and even the plants surrounding your patio.
Some Useful Lighting for the Outdoor Dining
You can light up a dining area outdoors with a few light options that make it comfortable yet aesthetically pleasing.
Hanging a chandelier is a good idea if you want to keep the focus on the table and keep it looking beautiful.
Another graceful way could be adding a string of lights to an overhead cord. You can attach a bar by attaching two vertical poles at the sides of the table and joining them at the top with a horizontal bar. Twist and secure a string of bulbs on this bar and light up the dining area with a unique style.
Highlighting Furniture
Highlighting furniture or the center where you sit is an integral part of the patio setting; That is all that lights up the place!
Use wall lights and different kinds of string bulbs to dress up the sitting space so that you can show your expensive, and stylish patio furniture in style.
If you have gotten wrought iron furniture, it would be best to keep the lights brighter. The reason for this is that black or metallic furniture will look better in bright light.
On the contrary, cushioned sofas and wicker furniture look better in dim lighting. Highlighting the furniture will also be possible if you accentuate the surrounding plants and walls. The sitting area will look like a part of a vast patio with more to look at beyond the sofas and chairs.
You can also place a table lamp or a lantern on the center table to give the area a warm and centered look.
All of us have unique choices and all the ideas shared here are suggestions to light up and beautify all kids' patio furniture settings.
Last Words
When designing the sitting areas and giving your outdoor furniture a new look, make sure that you decide on the lighting at the time of construction or renovation.
Some spaces look fine with ceiling lights while other patios are open, so the option of wall lights and additions of strings are more feasible.
We have discussed a few factors to consider and a few ideas that will uplift the patio with lighting. To find some amazing outdoor chairs, table tops, table bases and other items in the outdoor category, explore Chair Up.
