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By Morgan Goldberg and Julia Mitchem
During the summer, the days pass along languidly and the warm sunny evenings are perfect for brainstorming backyard lighting ideas for your outdoor area. The sun doesn’t set until 8 p.m., and the al fresco celebrations last well beyond that. With the right backyard lighting, the conversations can keep flowing, the music can keep playing, and you can keep dancing all evening long.
For those of us who treat hosting like a second job, just think of the amazing outdoor dining setups you could create! From tiki torches to pathway lights, get ready to see your outdoor space in an entirely new way. Even if you don’t have a ton of space—or an elaborate setup with a pergola—you can add a bit of class and charm to your patio.
Cover your outdoor fixtures to avoid light pollution.
A well-lit backyard features layered lighting that’s strategically placed for ambiance and safety. Tricks like illuminating walkways and focal points accomplish both simultaneously, while clever DIYs like glowing orbs bring a dynamic design element to your landscape. Firepits and outdoor candles can even provide organic light without any electricity at all. The fewer light bulbs to replace the better, right?
According to Caroline Danielson, the director of showrooms at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, it’s also critical to consider light pollution when lighting your backyard. She cites information from the International Dark-Sky Association, a nonprofit that advocates for decreased use of excessive artificial light because it can disrupt ecosystems and wildlife and can cause harm to human health. Luckily, fixtures labeled “dark sky” and “good neighbor” can illuminate your backyard with limited light pollution. Your lighting system affects all the living things around you too.
“Using warmer lights and minimizing blue light emissions can help reduce the impact of your light pollution, as blue light brightens the night sky more than any other color of light,” Danielson explains. “Motion detector lights and timers are ideal dark-sky lighting solutions, as these lights only come on as needed. It’s also important that you shield outdoor fixtures so that the light shines exactly where it needs to: downward.”
Motion detectors and timers help conserve electricity too, as do renewable solar-powered lights. Sheva Knopfler, cofounder and creative director of Lights.com, recommends Harlow solar path lights that charge in the sun and automatically turn on after dark, so you don’t have to remember to flip a switch. Solar lights can brighten your outdoor living space without making you feel like it’s just another burden on your electricity bill at the end of the month.
With all of this in mind, we came up with nine outdoor lighting ideas that make the most of your backyard and help you create a stunning lighting design.
For safe backyard lighting ideas, invest in path lighting that will give off a soft glow and help people navigate routes in the dark. Knopfler’s favorite contemporary solar brick lights efficiently illuminate walkways and look aesthetically pleasing while doing it. “They’re easy to install and require no hardwiring,” she says. “Simply place them along the path, in dirt, or between tiles.”
Light.com’s lantern-like Burton solar path lights also charge in the sun and don’t require hardwiring, but they offer a more classic, farmhouse-style look. The weather-resistant glass, metal, and durable resin fixtures can be quickly installed with spikes that nestle into the ground securely. Most importantly, they emit a soft, warm light with a single LED. Just remember to stagger any path lights so your walkway doesn’t look like an airport runway.
Opt for an unexpected piece.
Breegan Jane, Marshalls and T.J. Maxx home style expert and host of HGTV’s Dream Home, emphasizes that eccentric lighting can make all the difference.
“Don’t be afraid to get creative,” Jane says. “Unique lighting fixtures like lanterns and firepits can completely transform any outdoor space. They add amazing mood lighting at night and create the perfect atmosphere for entertaining.”
She also recommends these cracked glass wall sconces to add lovely lighting when you entertain your friends and family. Go for bold eye-catching pieces—think a stunning chandelier to frame your outdoor dining area. Don’t feel like being outside limits you!
If you’d like to go more subtle but still try something new, you can opt for funky pool lighting, pendant lights, step lights or gazebo lighting. Think of all the spots that could get a quick yet effective upgrade.
Rather than focusing harsh lights directly on your patio, place landscape lights under your surrounding plants to eliminate glare and create sculptural shadows. It sounds hard, but it’s really not! You don’t need to be an electrician to figure out how to do this exterior lighting tip. Solar Avalon crackled glass globes are perfect for illuminating plants. Place them in your garden—they look like something chosen by a fairy—and these solar lights will charge during the day and illuminate with a soft light after dark. Round well lights work wonders for lighting small flora like shrubs, while bullet-shaped spotlights with adjustable heads are the best option for illuminating taller trees.
“Depending on how much light you want to bring into your outdoor oasis, you can also hang LED outdoor string lights around the property line of your background to provide illumination from each end of your backyard and help create a cozier environment for less,” Jane says.
Play up the architectural features of your space.
Think accent lighting! Well lights and bullet-shaped spotlights can also be used to highlight key architectural features of your home while still illuminating the backyard. You can accentuate arches, columns, gabled roofs, and balconies for a dramatic effect. Lighting exterior walls is a great move too. By lighting up the focal points outside and around your home, you can make sure your backyard is lit enough to be safe without having too much concentrated light in one area or overspending on lighting up your entire backyard inefficiently.
“Look for subtle ways to light the base of your trees or plants, your railings, your pathways, and around your outdoor seating area to create a warm and inviting atmosphere,” Jane says.
If you’re feeling crafty, you can make your own glowing orbs in just five minutes for just $5. Karen Bertelsen, the blogger behind The Art of Doing Stuff, invented this hack using outdoor string lights and old glass shades from Goodwill or a flea market. She stuffs the glass shades with string lights, places them around her backyard, and hides the cords in the dirt. The result is a playful, ethereal look with diffused light.
You can also go for the tried and true trick of adding fairy lights to an old jar! The lighting options are pretty much endless. You can try out a whole plethora of outdoor lighting ideas.
String lights seen here in the modern mediterranean redesign of a Palos Verdes Estates residence accomplished by Christine Vroom Interiors, look grown up and well-executed.
Not into the DIY vibe? Hang string lights for an exceedingly simple yet incredibly impactful effect. Whether you opt for classic white string lights or quirky colorful ones, they add a romantic vibe to any backyard. To avoid running extension cords across the land, seek out traditional battery-operated or solar-powered outdoor string lights. Hanging lights not only look beautiful, but they also can cover a lot of ground pretty easily.
When in doubt, stick to fire. Smoke-free fire pits like the Solo stove bonfire are ideal for entertaining, offering a gathering place with cozy warmth and dancing light. But if you like the idea of fire without actually needing to strike a match, Light.com’s Dionne solar-powered outdoor candles give off the warm glow of the real deal.
Consider how warm or cool the lights look in the evening and at night.
The best light for your space varies depending on the natural light it gets and which way your home faces, according to Jane. You can mix warmer and cooler tones and different light fixture styles to achieve your vision. Floodlights, LED lights, and garden lights all look different, so make sure you research what each one would actually look like in your space.
“One of my best tips to clients is checking out T.J. Maxx and Marshalls during their clearance J-months (January, June and July) to score incredible deals on high-quality outdoor lighting without compromising on value,” Jane says.
She says that it’s still important to make sure that you’re choosing high-grade lights that will make your home safer for you and all your guests. Good thing you can have affordability and beauty.
By Kathryn O'Shea-Evans
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