Classic lighting design is about identifying and blending four core lighting groups: ambient, accent, decorative and task lighting. And when it comes to the outdoor lighting very much the same principles to create successful interior lighting apply; but before we examine these further, there are a few key differences to take note of.
First there is a small matter of size. Interior spaces are constrained by walls and ceilings and are really rather diminutive compared to even a small garden. Outside there is no height restriction and at night especially there is no clear boundary either.
This brings both opportunities and challenges for outdoor lighting design. Most indoor lighting is reflected from ceilings and walls and contributes to the overall ambient light. Outside however, lights appear to us as zones of brightness that, rather than spilling onto surrounding areas instead create a contrast, making then seem even darker.
This lack of reflected ambient light means that many common indoor lighting techniques won’t work in the garden; but it also means that you can use this darkness to create interesting effects and in extreme cases design a night time garden that apparently bears no relationship to the daylight version by emphasising certain features and concealing others.
Then there is the matter of how to utilise your outdoor areas. Conventional garden design principles teach the concept of treating the garden as if it were just another room (or an extra set of rooms) in the home, and this treatment thus also applies to the lighting.
You almost certainly employ different lighting arrangements for various rooms based on their intended use, so bedroom lighting would be quite distinct from kitchen lighting for example. So if you planned on using your deck as a place to entertain then it would be prudent to install lighting suitable for that purpose. Likewise, you would (presumably) use quite different lighting for a pathway or to illuminate say a water feature - different purpose.
Which brings us then to the four main lighting types and their application outdoors.
Whereas indoors ambient lighting mainly provides a platform for the other types of lighting, in the garden this really isn’t possible without the confines of reflective walls. Accordingly ambient light quite frequently takes centre stage outdoors; many solar powered garden lamps provide good examples of the sort of soft, diffuse light that can be used to introduce a pleasant and understated glow to any part of the garden.
Accent lighting on the other hand is all about highlighting key features and picking out detail and color. It is used to lead the eye around the garden and commonly relies on spot lights and these days LED lights.
Decorative lighting performs a similar function in that it is intended to look attractive and catch the eye, with the difference that the light fitting itself is the focal point. Once again LED garden lights are now used quite heavily for decorative effects.
Task lighting outdoors is obviously not so much about light suitable for reading and doing things as providing ample light for people to get about safely. This encompasses the ubiquitous LED deck lights, pathway lights and lighting around entertainment zones so folk can see what they’re easting and drinking (roughly).
The key to effective garden lighting is the same as with interior lighting design, which is to combine all four of the basic lighting types (it also helps if you can arrange to be able to operate task lighting separately). Like indoor lighting, reliance on just ambient light will result in a drab and indistinct look, while using only accent lighting is likely to come across as harsh and over dramatic, and if you over rely on decorative lighting it will almost certainly come across as disconnected and frankly cheesy.
A really simple way to get a rich combination of the main lighting types is to just buy an assortment of varied light fittings. So pick up some spot lights that cover a range of beam angle and luminosity plus the standard lanterns and path markers. Introduce a few coloured lights to the collection and also aim to use both solar powered and mains low voltage powered lights. As you might expect, contemporary examples of both formats are now LED based.
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