Let’s begin with a brief history lesson, shall we? Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, known as Le Corbusier, is considered one of the greatest pioneers of modern architecture. He has been quoted as saying, “Light creates ambiance and feel of a place, as well as the expression of a structure.”
Whether it’s the interior or exterior, whether the property is residential or commercial, lighting represents a crucial element in any design. Consequently, your landscaping design and landscape lighting should go hand in hand. How can you use lighting to enhance an outdoor landscaping environment? Is lighting as important as people say? Why should you use lights outside? Peer Landscaping, your premier landscape designers in Fort Myers and the surrounding areas of Southwest Florida, has the answer to all of your lighting and landscape design questions and it begins with one word: Nightscaping.
What exactly is nightscaping?
Nightscaping is not the term used to describe security floodlights that are triggered by movement in your driveway. Instead, nightscaping refers to creating a lighting installation that provides purposeful illumination to create focal points on our landscape design, this is high-end landscape lighting design. The end result is an outdoor space you can enjoy after dark—whether it be a portion of your yard or all of it. At Peer Landscaping, we love creating nightscapes. What we will do is create a lighting design that highlights the beauty of our landscape design, nightscaping your property to bring forth the splendor of your yard and house at night. This process involves targeting specific areas of your yard, pathways, plants, trees or outdoor structures. While many people only think about lighting after their landscaping is done, we actually suggest considering it before we’ve even installed your new plants and trees. We think the lighting design works best when it is created at the same time the actual landscape design is. That way we complement the plants, trees and other outdoor features with the lighting we choose, after all, we feel doing it properly is an artform.
Why should you consider nightscaping?
Here in Southwest Florida the wonderful weather year-round means all of us can enjoy our yards in the evening. But a lot of people miss out because their exterior is too dark. Our design experts at Peer Landscaping take many things into consideration when we are creating a nightscaping lighting design. Here are some of the most common reasons people choose to to have their yard nightscaped:
To Enhance Curb Appeal: Curb appeal is all about your guest’s first impression of your home when they pull up in the driveway. We can add curb appeal by dramatically lighting that gorgeous tree in the front yard, or we can use lighting to highlight specific pathways and garden features so that your home is never shrouded in total darkness. Whether you want to add whimsical wonder to your charming home, or sharply enhance your home’s modern features, either can be accomplished through nightscape lighting.
To Improve Security and Safety: Nothing deters robbers like having a house surrounded by light. In fact, many insurance companies actually offer reduced premiums for homes that have increased exterior lighting. The insurance company sees it as a security measure that deters home invasions. And as a first line of defense, they are correct since the lighting provides a better view of the yard from indoors, and it draws the attention of those people passing by too. These are two things thieves definitely don’t want. In terms of safety, we can use nightscaping to properly light walkways and pathways. Visibility is an important safety feature because it keeps guests from tripping. This decreases your liability and increases your ability to throw evening parties in the backyard!
Create Or Enhance Entertaining Spaces: Nightscaping can be romantic or dramatic, and it definitely enhances the beauty of your property at night. If you love throwing parties and having friends and family over, nightscaping will extend your living area. By increasing your living space, nightscaping literally extends your property’s footprint at night. Your family and your guests will be lured to walk through your property, with lighting that guides them through the key points in your landscape design. We can create pathways of light to your boat dock, to your firepit, and to show off your flowers and trees. Your family will be excited to spend extra time outdoors enjoying the gorgeous tropical plants we’ve installed for you.
The Value: If you are looking to add value to your home, nightscaping is a great way to highlight the beautiful features of your property. The National Association of Home Builders does a survey every year called What Home Buyers Really Want, and annually, exterior lighting is ranked as one of the most desirable characteristics homebuyers look for. That’s because your outdoor space becomes more functional when it has been nightscaped. Even if you don’t plan to sell your home, a nightscape and the increased lighting that comes with it can add visual appeal and thus added value.
What Aspects of Your Landscape Should Be Nightscaped?
If you want to create something that looks luxurious, then you need the professionally trained design team at Peer Landscaping. We can illuminate the best aspects of your landscape and home. If you want to know the type of features that may be highlighted in a nightscape design, here are some options we can consider together:
- Garden Beds
- Distinctive trees
- Pergolas
- Gazeboes
- Fire Pits
- Decks or patios
- Sitting Walls
- Outdoor Kitchens
- Walkways and/or pathways
- Staircases and steps
- Entryways
- Docks
- Driveways
- Water features, including ponds and pools
- Decorative Arches
- Seating
- Architectural features of your home
- Natural Features (coastline, riverbank, natural rock formations)
No matter what features of your property we choose to highlight with nightscaping, we will create a plan that enhances the natural beauty of your landscaping. We will take into consideration how your lighting looks from both the exterior and interior of your home. You can be sure it will look amazing. We know how to space the lights, so your driveway doesn’t look like the airport and we understand how to work with your existing landscaping to make it look incredible at night.
Contact our staff at Peer Landscaping today to start scheduling the beginning of creating the illuminated outdoor space of your dreams. Contact Peer Landscaping by phone today at (239) 645-6455. Peer Landscaping is proud to be a part of its local community. We provide our services to those who live in Fort Myers or the surrounding areas of Southwest Florida.
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