Sales of outdoor lighting have soared in recent years as people aim to make more of their outdoor and garden spaces. The way in which we use available outdoor space has changed as well, along with housing and landscape planning in general. Previously, houses with gardens tended to be laid out along traditional lines, often with functional areas for growing produce. Lawns were common, along with a small patio area. Today, many people have only a small outdoor space, or even a balcony, as the shift to town and urban housing increases. Many will simply have a courtyard, patio or yard. Flat dwellers will have either a shared communal space, a roof top or a balcony. These spaces may be smaller, but they tend to be better utilised for outdoor entertaining so that they become an extension of living quarters.

This means that outdoor spaces are increasingly being decorated in ways that make them an extension of the home. For example, it’s ever more common to have French windows or a patio door leading to an outdoor space. Garden furniture ranges have increased in diversity and functional spec, with everything from metal bistro tables for small courtyards, through to traditional heavy wood tables and chairs for entertaining and even summer outdoor sofas.

Outdoor lighting plays a huge role in the development of modern outdoor spaces, both to provide functional and usable light for evening time and also to decorate and make the outdoor spaces attractive. For example, outdoor security lighting helps to keep a garden area secure and outdoor wall lights may be used to provide bright activity based lighting for evening activities and entertaining.

Outdoor lighting can also be used to create atmosphere and ambience. Strings of solar lights can be used to decorate walls, trees and accessories. Many of these are shaped and designed with colours and novelty themes – for example coloured butterflies, sparkling stars or twinkling lanterns. These are great for evening parties and bbqs and for providing extra light on a dull afternoon when it’s still warm enough to sit outside. Remember that it’s entirely possible to create a year-round outdoor space with the right lighting and features for warmth such as a fire pit or outdoor heater.

Other examples of outdoor lighting include solar sticks and solar lights and these are becoming very popular. They are energy efficient and require no power source, which is an advantage over traditional electric outdoor lighting that requires correct installation from an electrician. Solar lights simply use the light of the sun to absorb energy, which is then emitted as light overnight. There are solar lights for functional use, such as spotters to mark a driveway for cars and also for decorative use, such as to string in trees or plant into garden areas. Many of these come in novelty shapes such as animals and plants and are very popular with families. The great thing is that the technology and designs for these types of lighting is developing all the time, meaning that new innovations and features are regularly being released to the public.

With a little thought and creativity, your outdoor space can be transformed into an attractive and usable outdoor space for everyone to enjoy.