While there are many stunning architectural features of outdoor properties that would benefit from outdoor lighting, water features often are underutilized. You can make a big statement by strategically lighting your water features. Houston Lightscapes has experience using fountain lights, among others, to draw attention to an outdoor water feature. What are some things to consider when looking to light an outdoor fountain or other feature?
Types of Water Features
When working with a designer on a landscape lighting plan for your property, you want to be aware of what you are working with. Which areas of your home or business would benefit most from outdoor lighting? Do you have a water feature, or perhaps more than one? If so, where are they located and what are they surrounded by? A water feature’s lighting should seamlessly fit in with the rest of your lighting system. Depending on what type of feature you have and where it is located can determine how the rest of your plan is laid out. There are various types of water features. Some of them include…
- Fountains – There are many different styles and sizes of fountains and fountain lights, allowing you to choose one that fits in with the rest of your property. There are very modern, artistic fountains and more naturalistic if you want one that blends in with your plant life. A professional can help in choosing the right led fountain light for your fixtures.
- Rock Features – This is a more natural option and often includes small waterfalls, pagoda stones, and drilled boulders.
- Ponds – While these can range in size, they are usually best appropriate for larger properties. You can also add onto these features by adding spouts that project water up into the air and into stunning aerial displays above the water. You can also add fish and other wildlife to this feature.
Whether you already have a water feature or you’re in the works on installing one, Houston Lightscapes can help you create a lighting design that brings out the best in your landscape.
Tips For Landscape Lighting
There are many ways to utilize fountain lights and other types of lighting for water features. Lighting designers can tell you what goes into creating a stunning design, and what tips they use to draw attention to the beautiful movement of water.
The location of a fixture is crucial to lighting design. Depending on what type of fixture you use and where you place it can affect the way in which the water feature is highlighted. Perimeter lighting around the edges of the feature can be a good investment. You can also place lights above a fixture beaming down at it. This is known as downlighting. A popular form of downlighting is moonlighting. It gives off the appearance of natural, dramatic moonlight. Uplighting can be used by placing fixtures below the feature angled upwards. You can also play with the shape of the water feature through shadowing or silhouetting. By placing a light fixture in front of the fountain, it can reflect a shadow against a wall or other surface behind the feature. For water features, this can be exceptionally gorgeous as it can capture the fluidity and movement of the water.
If you have a fountain or water feature you would like to accentuate, contact Houston Lightscapes. We install outdoor landscape lighting that suits your needs. While we can install most lights, we do not work with underwater lights. Set up a free consultation and nighttime demo here.