Not so long ago, landscape lighting was a rather unsophisticated affair. More often than not, the goal was simply to banish the darkness by lighting up a home’s landscape. Not a lot of consideration was given to the finer aesthetics of lighting up a landscape.
But for progressive landscape lighting contractors, those dull days are far behind us. We now approach each lighting installation project as an artist approaches a blank canvas.
Because in truth, a home’s landscape lighting can be a work of art. These days, in fact, landscape lighting should be a work of art. And if your landscape lighting doesn’t turn out that way, you’ve hired the wrong contractor.
But just like all forms of art, landscape lighting encompasses various styles and trends that tend to ebb and flow in popularity. And for right now, in 2015, the following are the hottest, most popular trends in landscape lighting:
LED Lighting
In truth, this trend is sort of a hybrid. It’s a mixture of artistry and efficiency. That’s because LED lighting offers a significant step forward in beauty and aesthetics while also offering a dramatic increase in energy efficiency and economic thriftiness.
That’s why there’s a current trend toward using LEDs in landscape lighting. And that’s a trend that will continue far beyond this year.
While the majority of new landscape lighting installations are taking advantage of the benefits of LEDs, homeowners with existing landscape lighting can do the same. That’s because LEDs can easily be retrofit to existing systems.
Control Systems
Technological advancements have also impacted another aspect of landscape lighting: user controls. With the primitive controls of early landscape lighting systems, users typically had two choices: on, or off.
But not anymore.
New control systems have offered homeowners infinite control over factors such as timing and brightness. And the most advanced systems offer the ability to control remotely with devices such as smartphones and iPads.
Security with Flair
Enhanced security has long been one of the main benefits provided by landscape lighting. And that certainly hasn’t changed. But security lighting was once harsh, in-your-face lighting that was none-too-pleasant.
In the old days, security lighting did the job of helping to keep the bad guys at bay. But homeowners paid an aesthetic price for their enhanced security.
These days, that’s no longer true. You can have your cake and eat it, too. You can have a system that provides the priceless gift of security, but does so in a way that’s unobtrusive and aesthetically appealing.
The BIGGEST Trend in Landscape Lighting…
The biggest and most important modern trend in landscape lighting? It’s simply whatever you want it to be.
As the old fast-food commercials once proclaimed, you can “have it your way.” There are so many options in bulbs, lighting styles and controls that whatever you might envision for your landscape lighting is doable.
That wasn’t always the case.
But for modern homeowners, that’s the gift that technology has provided. All you need is a bit of imagination, and a contractor with the artistic and technological talent to make it happen.