Creative Lighting
An outdoor lighting system brings a number of benefits to the homeowner. A small investment in outdoor lighting can add tremendous value to your landscape and an increase in property value. The first way it adds value is by dramatically increasing the useability of the property and greatly expanding your living and entertainment areas. Without lighting, it’s like the outside world disappears as soon as night falls. When you light the landscape, you’re not confined by your walls. You can experience and appreciate the entire property at night.
Another way outdoor lighting adds value is by adding beauty. Lighting can be used to establish a certain mood, to create a sense of drama, or simply to add irresistible eye appeal. Outdoor lighting isn’t just beautiful to look at, it actually creates a multi-dimensional experience that you participate in. The experience changes as you move through the property and different scenes are revealed.
An important benefit of outdoor lighting is its low cost operation, because the systems are operated using low voltage fixtures, and expandability.
But perhaps the most important benefits of an outdoor lighting system are the safety and security that landscape lighting provides. It can make for safer navigation around walkways and stairs. A poorly lit path, step, or driveway can lead to accidents whereas a well-lit walkway allows your family and guests to see potential hazards. A professionally designed and installed outdoor lighting system provides a walkway that is illuminated adequately to provide safety, but subtle enough to avoid a high intensity, runway effect.
It also discourages prowlers and provides a sense of security for people returning home after dark. “Safety and security are big issues”, says Joe Judge from Creative Lighting, an outdoor lighting design and installation company on the Coast. “Lighting increases safety around pools, decks, and other areas. Landscape lighting not only highlights the features of a property owner’s outdoor area, it also eliminates the “dark spots” that intruders could use and be unnoticed. Potential intruders prefer to work in the dark, and not to be noticed. By eliminating the dark areas in the property, a homeowner lowers the chances of being a target of these potential intruders, thus making the home and the property more secure.”
Safety is a key reason to install an outdoor lighting system, but more and more, aesthetics are sparking market demand. Joe says “homeowners often request outdoor lighting schemes to highlight their home’s architectural or garden features.”
Fibre optic technology is increasingly used for its safety; no electricity is connected directly to the fixtures, which is great for water gardens and pools. These technologies and a plethora of outdoor lighting products make it easy to create lighting zones.
Banks of controls allow for different areas of the landscape to be lit independently — to highlight a special tree or to cast brighter light on the grill in the outdoor kitchen, while keeping the patio lighting softer and more suitable for conversation.
Outdoor lighting Trends and Tips
As outdoor lighting has become more important to homeowners, new products — and even new design “rules” have emerged:
- Know what you want; thousands of fixture styles and a broad range of illuminations are available today.
- Remember that natural looking, less intrusive fixtures are in. Think soft bronzes and refined styling.
- Hide fixtures so they’re not visible during the day; rocks and plants help.
- Leave coils of wire around fixtures so lighting can be adjustable and flexible.
- Find a focal point such as a path or a beautiful tree to highlight.
- Space walkway lights 1.5 to 2.5 metres apart.
- Be sure buried wiring is protected from chewing animals.
Colour changing light systems
Using the latest LED technology, light fittings incorporate this type of light effect, allowing you to provide a colour changing light show, to impress your guests!
By simply having the three primary colours represented by three separate LED’s and located into the head of a light fitting, an electronic circuit board programmes the separate LED’s to “Fade and Blend” into each other. The light effect produced, is an ever changing light show, using all the colours in the rainbow.
More advanced systems can offer the same effect
detailed above, but in addition, from a “Hand Control Unit”, you can select the colour you wish to be displayed keeping the colour constant, OR change the colour at an instant, and either fade or brighten the strength of light output.
LED Lighting
The use of LED technology for outdoor garden lighting has two very important features. Firstly the long life span, up to 20 years in some cases. Secondly the very low energy consumption, which benefits both your bank balance and the environment.
As if all the above were not reason enough to make these lights attractive, the best feature is the tranquil atmosphere that contemporary outdoor lighting produces. Whether indoors or outside the effect is not only aesthetically pleasing but also calm and peaceful.
Fibre Optic Lighting
Fibre Optic lighting offers versatility in conjunction with modern technology and has been designed specifically for outdoor applications. This alternative lighting method carries no electricity or harmful UV rays and fittings remain cold to touch.
What is fibre optic lighting? Light is transmitted along a fibre optic cable to each of the stainless steel light fittings. The light source is generated by a light box at the start of the system which converts to the fibre optic cables. With each fibre optic kit you have the option of a static light or an everchanging light show which can be produced from the colour disc supplied.
CREATIVE LIGHTING
Professional Lighting Specialists
- Specialists in all type of interior and exterior lighting design.
- Suppliers and Installers of conventional, LED and fibre optic lighting.
- Specialists in colour changing mood lighting to dramatically enhance your garden, pathways, swimming pool and decking areas.
- Working in partnership with specialists to provide the latest remote control and home automation systems.
- Our systems are suitable for homes, restaurants, bars etc.
info@creativelighting.es
www.creativelighting.es
 Creative Lighting |
The New Generation of Landscape Lighting
Golf | Issue 5 — February and March 2009
Golf | Issue 5 — February and March 2009
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