Creating a Changing Outdoor Oasis with the Highest-Performing LED Lighting

Few things are more beautiful or relaxing than an evening spent under the stars in your outdoor oasis in Austin, TX. Whether having friends over for a barbeque or hosting an elaborate event, the great outdoors somehow makes these moments that much better.

Today, homeowners are taking advantage of the latest technology, transforming their backyards into entertainment meccas. Directional under-eaves speakers have transformed into satellite speakers tucked throughout the foliage. Grainy movie screens have given way to outdoor 4K UHD TVs that deliver better and brighter pictures than their indoor counterparts.

One element, however, brings it all together, enhancing the beauty and extending gatherings long into the night. It's the latest LED landscape lighting that changes for every occasion, creating an enchanting retreat with one touch. 

Let's explore what today's outdoor lighting brings to the barbeque. 

It’s almost spring in Texas; the weather is turning warmer, and the outdoors is getting greener. This is typically an excellent time to do new landscaping work both for maintenance and the spring and summer season.

You put a lot of effort into your lawns and gardens to make an impression with your home - either for yourself or your visitors. What happens after dark? Much of that investment might go unseen. Don’t let your home’s beautiful exteriors go unappreciated. With a landscape lighting plan and installation for your Houston, TX home, you can shine a light on your property and show it off.

Keep reading for three ways you can use landscape lighting to enhance the appearance of your home.

SEE ALSO: The Top Benefits of Landscape Lighting

Downlighting and Area Lighting

Our mild and humid climate makes for great trees. Downlights can be installed in trees to softly illuminate a garden, yard, or driveway. You can choose warm lighting if you prefer, but cooler toned bulbs can simulate natural moonlight for a beautiful effect.

There’s no need to feel down this season because your original summer plans were canceled or modified dramatically. While you may not be able to go to the beach or your favorite place for a party as you typically do, you can certainly change the look and feel of your Memorial, TX, home with a few key elements.

We love working with Coastal Source because the brand is known for its superior landscape lighting and outdoor audio products. Products are built to withstand the harsh elements, something every Texan can appreciate thanks to our grueling hot summers. Landscape lighting offers a variety of benefits to your home, from illuminating trees and flowerbeds to brightening pathways.

Keep reading to learn how lighting and entertainment can transform your outdoor spaces so you can enjoy a mini-vacation without ever leaving your backyard.

SEE ALSO: How Do Biophilia and Smart Home Technology Mix?

Improved Safety

Walkways can be expertly lit to increase safety on your Memorial-area property. Coastal Source step lights are surface-mounted LED lights that offer low-level light along walls, pathways, or any other vertical surface. Smaller, harder to reach locations like under railings or rafters benefit from brass lip lights that assist your visitors gracefully up steps.

At the edge of the Texas hill country here in Austin, we're blessed with abundant natural beauty. Many homes in the area offer views, trees, and greenery that make living here special.

Austin also loves outdoor living. Does any restaurant here not have an outside patio? At home, that outside lifestyle happens in patios, yards, and waterfronts along the lakes. 

When the sun goes down, the outdoors can be especially inviting as the heat of the Texas sun fades. But does your outdoor space have the right lighting to make the most of your Austin landscape? Keep reading to find out more about the benefits of landscape lighting.

Landscape lighting is an excellent way to illuminate your River Oaks home, drawing attention to the beautiful architecture and providing light for outdoor entertainment. Getting started with landscape lighting means choosing the types of lights you want throughout your outdoor space. Continue reading to learn about the four main types of landscape lighting and how they can enhance your Texas home.

SEE MORE:Illuminate Your Landscape and Light Up Your Life

Bullet Lights

Bullet lights are typically used to highlight specific areas of your outdoor space, such as topiaries, statues, or artwork. Coastal Source, the top provider of high-end landscape lighting, provides bullet lights with a built-in mechanism that allows you to adjust the scope of the light. This design enables you to shift from sharply focused light to softly diffused light within the same fixture. And with a Lutron control solution, you can manage it all from a touchpad, tablet or smartphone.

Path Lights

Landscape lighting adds beauty, increases safety, and the value of your Austin, TX home. As the warmer months of the year quickly approach, now is the time when many homeowners consider making outdoor updates to their property. You might be considering a fire pit, patio seating or an outdoor kitchen, which are all great additions to your backyard. But have you thought about the benefits of lighting up the night? Read on to learn more about how outdoor lighting can enhance your property.

Add Beauty and Fun

A well-planned lighting installation can add charm to your garden or highlight various architectural features of your home. Use accent lighting to show off a water feature or a piece of lawn art. Regardless of the style of your home, wall lanterns and post lights add a customized finish. Task lighting in your outdoor kitchen makes preparing food easier and might just encourage others to assist you. Extend the hours you spend hosting guests and hanging out with family on the patio or by the pool when you install landscape lighting.

Improve Safety and Security

One of the primary reasons to install landscape lighting is for safety’s sake. Lighting for pathways, steps, decks, patios, and front doors help guide family and guests throughout the backyard and reduce the number of trips, slips, and falls. Swim more safely at night with specialized lighting for your pool and deck area. Shedding light in dim areas and around the perimeter of your home will discourage loitering or other unwanted activity.

Landscape lighting can serve many functions in a home. It can help increase security, accentuate architectural features and illuminate outdoor entertainment spaces. All of this can be accomplished through a well-designed mix of lighting fixtures. But why settle for a static system? Optimize your space with Coastal Source outdoor lighting fixtures and a smart control system that can anticipate threats and even conserve energy. Read on to find out how a smart solution can benefit your Houston home.

Read More: Illuminate Your Landscape and Light Up Your Life 

Stay Ahead of the Sun and Conserve Energy

While some lights may stay on throughout the day, it’s when the sun goes down that your lighting design really shines. This is why it’s important to create a system which transitions seamlessly from day to night. Your smart control system helps you in this regard in two different ways: by creating schedules or incorporating sensors. 

At a given time every evening, your lights are programmed to turn on then dim back down in the morning. For ultimate efficiency, you can link your fixtures to sun sensors. As soon as it starts getting dark, lights turn on to avoid dangerous unlit areas and allow you to continue outdoor activities. Meanwhile, you conserve energy by making sure lights are only turned on when needed. 

Working with a professional for your landscape lighting installation can result in a system that is not only easy to use, but built to last. Clients that opt for a DIY approach usually face the same design and installation problems that hurt the efficiency of the system. Learning what these mistakes are and the solution for each will help you be knowledgeable when talking to a contractor about your new home or latest upgrade. With the right landscape lighting solution in place, you can ensure you have a design that enhances your outdoor spaces and keeps your Austin, TX home safe. 

SEE MORE: 5 Steps to a Successful Landscape Lighting System

Poor Wire Connections

We begin with one of the biggest problems found in landscape lighting systems: poor wire connections. We partner with Coastal Source for all our projects for this reason. Coastal Source connectors are specifically designed for outdoor use, eliminating the need to cut and splice wire to make it waterproof. The other great thing is that the connectors are what they call "Plug-n-Play”; they link together with a simple twist to create a tight connection between the wires and keep corrosive elements out. 

No Control Solution

Landscape lighting is a must-have in any home. It strengthens your security, boosts your architectural features and enhances your outdoor entertainment. Due to its many functions, it is important that you have the right solution in place to get the most out of your technology. Aside from serving different functions, creating a layered lighting design can also add warmth and depth to your space. In this blog, we will discuss the various kinds of fixtures you can incorporate in your Houston, Texas home and the best control option for each.

See More: Transform Your Outdoor Spaces with Landscape Lighting

Ambient Lighting

Ambient lighting will make up the majority of your outdoor fixtures. It sets the overall tone by casting light over large areas of your patio, driveway, garden and other outdoor spaces. These lights help keep your home secure while creating a distinct ambience.

When it comes to your security, these fixtures benefit greatly from smart control. Use pre-set schedules to turn on lights as soon as the sun sets. If you're hosting friends for a barbecue or pool party, you can then use your smartphone to change the intensity of the lights to set the perfect mood for guests.

Whether you have a Texas-sized backyard or a modest outdoor space, you want to be able to enjoy it day and night. To do that, though, adding landscape lighting is a must! Hanging out with friends in the dark isn’t fun, nor is shooing away bugs and squinting to see one another because there’s a too-bright spotlight nearby.

To avoid party-hosting snafus, it’s crucial to have the right kind of lighting installed, and to do that, you need to work with a professional landscape lighting team like Relative Home Systems. Keep reading below to learn how you can take your outdoor entertainment in River Oaks to new levels with lighting.

SEE ALSO: How to Create a Stylist Landscape Lighting Design

Light Up Pathways

Whether it’s a small get-together or a large party, guests should be able to navigate your space safely. With our trusted brand partner, Coastal Source, we can help you illuminate your property with various lighting fixtures. A combination of pathway lights, niche lights, lip lights, and step lights not only makes the architectural features of your property look great, but every guest and family member is sure-footed. We know nights like these are made for memories, so we’re here to light up the way safely.

Set the Mood

Imagine floating in the pool and looking up into the trees. Instead of a pitch-black scene, you’ll see a variety of hanging lights and bullet lights showcasing your seating area and trees. Landscape lighting allows you to make a statement – even in the dark – and sets the mood for any gathering. We’ll automate your lighting, too, so once the sun goes down, your backyard spaces will shine. Lights aren’t jarring, either. They’ll dim to the perfect setting for whatever mood you’re trying to create in your backyard.