You're Missing Out on Your Outdoor Kitchen's Potential if You Don't Have Proper Landscape Lighting in the Upper Arlington, OH Area
Enjoying a wonderful meal beneath the stars is not in the cards when you opt out of including landscape lighting in your Upper Arlington, OH Area landscape plan. If you love to cook and dine outdoors, why not consider adding proper illumination to your outdoor kitchen and other living spaces? These lighting strategies can be what you need to stay outside long into the night.
Illuminate the Patio
Lighting the patio can be the first step in expanding the functionality of your backyard living spaces. There are lighting options that let you choose a fixture that is visible and adds to the aesthetic of your outdoor space or you can choose discreet lighting that doesn’t show fixtures but gives that glow you want.
As part of the landscape lighting integration, consider adding a pergola to your outdoor patio or kitchen area. This can allow you to have a lovely vertical feature in the design of weighty wood posts that sit on stone pillars.
The decorative wood beams above can add to the beauty there but they can also hold more lights for better visibility and ceiling fans for cooling breezes.
Illuminate the Outdoor Kitchen
It can be most helpful to have two types of lighting in your outdoor kitchen, dimmable and task lighting. The task lights are brighter and shine a direct light on a surface like a counter so you can see well in the dark landscape.
This is necessary so you can prep foods and use knives safely to cut meats and vegetables. You can also benefit from task lights over the grills and cooktop since you need to have good visibility to ensure meats are fully cooked.
Moving from one part of the outdoor kitchen to other spaces can also require brighter illumination so you don’t trip and fall or miss the counter and something spills.
You want to set the tone for the meal and dessert with soft, inviting lighting. Dimmable lighting can be what you want when dinner is over and your guests are still gathered around the table, chatting and laughing.
Illuminate the Coffee Station
If you don’t already have a coffee station in your outdoor kitchen, it might be time to correct that. A full coffee area can let your guests enjoy hot or cold coffee drinks at any time. You can stock this area with liqueurs that can be added to coffee for a warm after-dinner drink.
In this area, you will want lighting that can be dimmed and brightened, depending on whether you are preparing drinks or stocking the bar.
Illuminate the Walkways
Adding lighting to the walkways can let your friends and family mill around after a meal. While some might want to sit on the outdoor couches, others might want to see your gorgeously landscaped beds and inspect the various flowers.
Lighting that shines on the walkways can let guests walk with confidence around the backyard.
Illuminate the Custom Landscape Plan
When you have invested in a beautiful, functional outdoor kitchen and patio, be sure to add lights to your custom landscape plan to highlight all the pretty spaces there. From spotlights on the tree trunks to up-lights on the flowering shrubs, this can be the final piece that makes your backyard magical after dark.
About the Author:
In 2001, Shawn Rine decided he would like to earn a little pocket change. With a used mower and lots of hard work, he got his neighbors' yards into shape in no time. Nearly two decades later, Rine Landscape Group has a few more mowers – not to mention a staff of certified landscape specialists and an extensive portfolio of innovative, functional landscape projects in neighborhoods all over the Greater Columbus Metro Area.