Decorative outdoor lighting ideas add a magical ambience to your deck, garden and patio.

Outdoor lighting used to mean nailing a few bare bulbs to the deck posts, but not any more. These days, designing a beautiful, practical decorative outdoor lighting scheme has become something of a fine art, and a creatively satisfying home improvement project which just about anyone can achieve. You can buy an absolutely amazing range of decorative outdoor lights and accessories, from floodlights and spotlights, to decorative accent lights, pond lights, and even recessed lighting fixtures which are mounted right into the surface of the deck, driveway, patio or stairs. The possibilities are really limited only by your imagination.

Almost all outdoor lighting products work on a low voltage system, so they’re exceptionally safe to install and use, even when it’s wet. You can choose between traditional mains powered lighting fixtures, or energy saving solar powered lights. You’ll find more details on outdoor lighting products simply by following the links from this site.

Creative outdoor lighting design tips.

It can be very difficult to imagine how your lighting scheme is going to look when it’s all set up and switched on. There’s absolutely no harm in setting the lights up temporarily and turning them on, so you can see the effect and make any necessary adjustments before you mount them permanently.

A very important lighting design element you should be aware of is avoiding glare. Make sure none of your outdoor lighting fixtures are shining directly onto a hard, shiny surface, as this will create a harsh light which is uncomfortable to look at. Aim for a soft, even glow. Try to place the lighting fixtures so that they are spaced evenly, to avoid hot spots where there light overlaps.

Decorative accent lights can be used to highlight attractive features of your outdoor space, such as featured plants and trees, or garden ornaments. It’s important to place the lighting fixtures where they can’t be seen directly themselves.