Accent lighting is defined by what it does not light
Most outdoor lighting answers the question of how to light a property. Accent lighting inverts that. It is selective by definition. Point it at a specimen tree, a stone column, a water feature, a front door and stop. The dark part is not an oversight. It is doing the work.That is really the whole idea, stated as plainly as it can be. Pick what matters and resist adding to it. The pull is always toward adding, and holding it is the entire skill.
What tends to earn it
Some things reward being lit and some do not. Anything with surface relief responds well, since the shadows a texture throws are the point. Flat painted siding mostly just gets brighter. Form is the other thing to look for.
Where accent plans fall apart
Plans go wrong when the list grows. The homeowner likes the first uplit tree and asks for a second, then the whole bed, then the driveway. At some point there is no dark left to contrast against, and nothing stands out anymore. A disciplined plan says no more than it says yes.The best accent plans read as sparse in a drawing and correct once you are standing in front of the house after dark.
How it fits with the rest
Accent lighting is usually one layer of several. The other layers are path and bed lighting, security coverage, and the house itself. Accent lighting is the layer that adds intent.
One more thing about brightness
Accent fixtures are usually dimmer than people expect. Your eyes adapt, so a modest amount of light on a dark property does a great deal. You are creating a point of interest, not lighting a work area.
From below or down out of a tree
Direction changes the whole character. Light from below is inherently dramatic, and that is the effect. Downlighting from up in a tree or under a soffit imitates moonlight, so it feels
https://manuelmuve311.quillnesty.com/posts/permanent-christmas-lighting-the-honest-rundown-for-homeowners natural and calm.
Accent lighting is not set and forget
Anything aimed at a tree or a shrub will be aimed slightly wrong eventually. Growth closes over a fixture, and ground level fixtures get knocked out of position. It is not a fault, it is just how it works. Re aiming every couple of seasons keeps the plan looking the way it was designed to.Aim gets checked the same way the design was made: by standing on the property after dark and looking.
Where to start
Accent lighting is decided at the property, after dark, by somebody looking at it. EverCrest Lighting does accent lighting as part of a full outdoor lighting plan for residential and commercial properties throughout Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, from Greenville. The consultation is free. Call (864) 252-1732 or email
[email protected].