Downlighting or (Moonlighting)- Helps Make Your Lighting Look More Natural and Come to Life!
I’m not sure about you, but at the end of a long work day or week, I find real enjoyment in unplugging and finding my favorite chair on the patio or on my hammock, kick my feet up, and take in my beautiful backyard oasis. Now, I must admit, I have a killer backyard with a large patio, fireplace, outdoor kitchen, and loads of plant material that make it an inviting place to be, but it’s still amazes me how nature can actually have such a large impact on me. My wife and I love having a glass of wine outdoors and watching the sun set behind our large oak trees. I know I am a lighting guy and I’m supposed to love this stuff, but I get excited to see my landscape come back to life as my landscape lighting system ramps up and starts to illuminate my property. If you’ve had or have a lighting system, you know what I mean. During the evening hours all of your interesting features become invisible and your property visually stops just outside of your doors.
This is where moonlighting comes in, as it helps accentuate the outdoors, thereby creating a true piece of artwork pulled from well-designed landscaping. A properly designed landscape lighting system will incorporate moonlighting if there are trees on your property that will allow for it. Moonlighting or also called down lighting sometimes, will give your landscaping a different element of beauty that you won’t be able to achieve from the ground. Not only does it offer a different perspective outdoors, but also provides several indoor advantages enhancing many views from various rooms of your home looking outward.
How Does Moonlighting Work?
This lighting technique is achieved by mounting fixtures high in nearby trees. The higher you go, the more options and beam spreads than can be possible. Moonlighting generally is done through strategic placement of tree lights. In order to ensure its effectiveness and also to achieve a realistic feeling of actual moonlight, the lights should be mounted well above the tree branches in order to cast shadows. In addition, fixtures could also be mounted above the lowest branches of the tree so as to create a dappled effect on the ground. Moonlighting can also be used in areas with low growing plants, especially where plants do not lend themselves to up lighting due to the shape or placement. Lighting from above offers many solutions and adds a lot of design features you can’t get from traditional up lighting. Casting shadows and changing the color of the lens to more of a moon light color (bluish/whitish) will give almost the perfect resemblance to true moonlight. Other uses of down lights include placing downlights along a driveway. Bringing the light into the trees offers a couple of benefits for this type of lighting such as taking away the glare issue in your direct line of site and allows you to use far fewer fixtures. Down lighting and moonlighting should be a part of the landscape lighting design if your property allows for it. Mixing up different types of lighting fixtures, placement, beam angles, wattages, and color by a landscape lighting professional is the key to having your property lit and balanced naturally. Thereby bringing your landscape to life as well as making your lighting look more natural. However, if you like the effect of moonlighting but not the idea of climbing the ladder, you should consider hiring the services an outdoor lighting expert.
Advantages of Moonlighting
You stand to derive several benefits by adding moonlighting to your landscape lighting design. In our normal lives, we are more accustomed to lighting from above and moonlighting assists in the continuation of this trend by providing a more natural effect. The sight of several shadows dancing around in your landscape as the leaves sway in the breeze generates a relaxing effect that you can’t achieve with any other type of lighting. The effect of this lighting technique is not just pleasing to the eye, it also serves as a very effective means of getting rid dark spots along a path or stairs and can reduce the total number of fixtures needed. It is not advisable to only use one type of lighting technique on your property, hiring an experienced and knowledgeable lighting professional will ensure your property has the best design and use of correct lighting techniques.
Located in Summerfield, NC Southern Lights- Architectural and Landscape Lighting serves properties and property management companies throughout the state of NC including Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Raleigh, Charlotte, High Point, Jamestown, Burlington, Reidsville, Oak Ridge, Brown Summit, etc.
Southern Lights has installed hundreds of outdoor landscape lighting systems and carries more certifications than anyone in the state. With attention to detail and a solid knowledge of design, Southern Lights is the leading outdoor landscape lighting firm in the state of NC. See why our clients choose us. Contact us today by web (online form) or phone 336-451-4969.
