When it comes to the looks of your home, the first impression does make a difference, and a positive one can have a huge impact. A beautiful home exterior not only increases the curb appeal of your home, but it also says a lot about the attitude of the homeowner. And, it is basic human psychology to strive for more and better, be it your job or the way you keep your home. There is a lot that you can do to improve the look and feel of your house. For example, an exterior paint job, pressure washing the exterior of your home and outdoor lighting are all home improvement projects that can revitalize the look of your house.
While this article focuses on the benefits of residential outdoor lighting, here are the main benefits of exterior home improvement projects, as provided by home improvement contractor Windows on Washington:
It increases the value of your home – When you undertake a home improvement project, it certainly increases the value of your home. An attractive home exterior not just reflects well on the homeowner, but it also increases the curb appeal of your property.
It makes home maintenance easier – Everyone these days is short on time. Exterior home improvements can help you cut down on the time you need to spend on the maintenance of your home. For example, siding installation makes it easier for the homeowners to maintain the house as they don’t have to spend time on repainting the exteriors over and over again. Similarly, a new garage door and energy efficient replacement windows also make it easy for the homeowners to maintain their house.
Energy savings – This is another important consideration that encourages homeowners to take up exterior home improvement projects. For example, siding installation can reduce heating and cooling costs by as much as 20 percent. Similarly installing replacement windows can also reduce your energy bills substantially.
An exterior home improvement that’s growing in popularity is adding an outdoor kitchen. This trend is especially catching on in Central Florida, thanks to our favorable year-round climate and love for outdoor entertaining. Our friends at Seriously Smoked provide plenty of great outdoor kitchen ideas for spaces of every size, and projects and grills for every budget.
Home exterior lighting ideas
While many people don’t necessarily consider exterior lighting a home improvement, a well-planed system adds beauty and security to your property. Exterior lighting can do much more than line walkways or illuminate entryways. Artful use of outdoor lights can define entertaining spaces – such as a patio – as well as call attention to landscaping features.
Contemporist offers several ideas for outdoor lighting, which include:
String lighting – If you are looking for an inexpensive and easy way of lighting up your backyard and garden, you can use string lighting. You only need to string them up, connect them to a socket, and you are ready to spend some quality time at night in your backyard or garden.
Lanterns – You can also use lanterns to light up your garden and backyard. They are not just easy to place, but are available in a variety of styles to set any mood.
Strips of LED lights hidden under the furniture or base of your stairs – If you want to transform your outdoor spaces and make it modern, you can use strips of LED lights hidden under the furniture or along the base of the stairs.
Uplighting – Another way of making a style statement is to place lights under the trees and plants (positioned upwards). You can also place these lights on the walls (facing upwards). Uplighting helps create a sophisticated, dramatic effect.
Spheres and orbs – You can also use spheres and orbs to lighten up your garden and backyard. You can put them up individually or use them in cluster forms on the ground to set a contemporary mood.
Pendant lights – For homeowners who have a dedicated dining area in their backyard, pendant lights help define the space, as well as better illuminate place settings for meals.
Budget-friendly home exterior lighting ideas
Home improvement projects, especially outdoor lighting need not always dig a big hole in the homeowner’s pocket. There are many budget-friendly home exterior lighting ideas that you can use to make your outdoor spaces brighter and beautiful.
HGTV offers the following inspirations:
Create a moonlight effect – Use small directional lights in a large tree to create a moonlight effect. You can supplement it with candle lanterns around the tree which is an affordable and easy option that you can do without the hassle of wiring.
Use lanterns to brighten up your outdoor space – One of the easiest, attractive, and effective ways of lighting up your backyard and garden is to use decorative lanterns. You can use them in a cluster on the dining table, line them up on the wall, or put them up in groups. Wax candles or outdoor LED candles can be used in these lanterns to lighten up the outdoor space.
Chandelier – If you have a dining space in your backyard, you can use a chandelier to create a stylish dining atmosphere. You can suspend a candle chandelier from the beam or covered patio. For easy operation, you can use battery-operated LED candles. You can use string lights radiating from the chandelier’s mounting to create a magical experience.
Use step lights – You can light up your steps and walkways with solar-powered lights, which you can install yourself. Mount them on any flat surface or place them on the ground to give a modern look to your outdoor space.
Create a romantic glow – Group flameless LED pillar candles wherever you want to set a magical mood – patio, porch or outdoor seating area.
Vintage-style lights – These Edison-style lights with exposed filaments adds more style quotient to your outdoor space. If outdoor party lighting is what you are looking at, then vintage-style lights can bring on the magic.
String lighting – Positioned at regular intervals, you can use overhead string lighting to illuminate your courtyard. You can also use copper DSE uplights to illuminate the shrubs, trees, and pottery. You can also use café lights in a string formation which adds a magnificent glow to your garden or backyard. If you don’t have trees and other tall objects in your backyard and garden, then you can use temporary planters and wood posts to hang these lights. Of course, they’re always ideal outdoor party lighting!
Use planters – Planters that glow from within are becoming popular as intriguing accents for yards and gardens. Most are solar powered so that you can display them anywhere.
Solar deck accent lights – Everyone’s all-time favorite, this is another way to brighten up your deck railing, post, or stairs. Solar deck accent lights can turn on automatically at dusk, and it is an attractive option to illuminate your backyard and garden.
To learn more about innovative outdoor lighting ideas, get in touch with The Paint Manager. You can also contact us for other outdoor and indoor home improvement ideas that can boost your home’s curb appeal!