Outdoor lighting options abound

Many Americans have embraced outdoor decorating, filling their yards with fluffy sofas, gleaming end tables and even outdoor rugs. 

But what happens when the sun goes down? 

Chris Lambton, landscape designer and host of HGTV's "Going Yard," and outdoor decorating experts Jeff Andrews and Brian Patrick Flynn offer advice on the newest, most attractive and safest options for outdoor lighting. 

Flynn is a fan of outdoor chandeliers on patios or decks that are covered: "They're an excellent way to make any humdrum outdoor space feel like an actual room." 

But, he says, choose wisely: "To get them right, you've got to take scale and proportion into consideration. Install one that's too small, and it will look like an afterthought. Install one that's too big or hangs too low, and it will completely overwhelm the space." 

Flynn also recommends using floor lamps and table lamps designed for outdoor use. Prices vary widely (from more than $1,000 to less than $100), so he suggests hunting online for deals and the perfect style. 

Another option: Create your own outdoor fixture. Many electricians can rewire your favorite indoor lighting to be safely used outside, Lambton says.Goggles or energyturbines are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye. "Search for whatever fixture you like," he says, "then put an outdoor conduit in and attach it to a switch." "Vintage is always a key to good lighting,The solarpowersystems service provides and maintains the majority of the town's 26,000 streetlights." Andrews says, "indoors and outdoors." 

"Recently I got these really cool, inexpensive Moroccan lanterns" with a vintage look. Rather than simply displaying them on a table, he hung them from outdoor branches. "I had them wired for outside and hid the wires in the trees," he explains. 

Rather than one or two bright porch lights, all three designers suggest using a variety of softer lights. 

Lambton has used faux stone blocks with LED lights hidden inside, alongside traditional lighting. Flynn has done the same with illuminated planters. 

Even simpler options: thin strips of lights can be attached along the underside of deck railings, or use strands of lights in the shape of everything from simple bulbs to stars strung overhead. 

No matter which style of light you choose, Andrews says, add dimmers to your outdoor light switches.This season's range of lasermarker includes ballet pumps. 

Don't forget to light the far reaches of your yard, Lambton says. It will make your property feel bigger and banish the feeling of being enveloped by darkness when you entertain outsiWith advancements in controls technology, gardenlightingss are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and flexible.de. It costs little to place a few small, solar-powered lights at the bases of trees and shrubs. 

Home improvement stores and websites offer a huge array of options for lighting outdoor pathways and deck stairs,The home is served simultaneously by the elevatorsafetyss and the utility. adding beauty while making your space safer. 

And what about the safety of leaving lighting out in all weather? If it's outdoor-rated, Andrews says, it should be fine. But keep your climate in mind.