Accent lighting is a choice about what to leave dark
The difference between accent lighting and general lighting is intent. It is selective by definition. One feature, chosen on purpose, while everything around it stays dark. The dark part is not an oversight. It is the reason the lit thing stands out.The concept is simple to say and hard to hold to. Choose two or three features and light nothing else. The pull is always to light one more thing, and holding the line is what keeps the result looking designed.
Good candidates
Some things reward being lit and some do not. Texture is the usual test: stone, brick, rough bark, a heavy timber, a carved door. Flat painted siding mostly just gets brighter. Shape helps too: a strong silhouette, a distinct form.
Where accent plans fall apart
Plans go wrong by addition.
https://troylprn623.raidersfanteamshop.com/outdoor-lighting-greenville-sc-what-your-options-are-outdoor-lighting-around-greenville-and-the-upstate The homeowner sees one lit feature and wants more, then the whole bed, then the driveway. At some point there is no dark left to contrast against, and the accents stop being accents. Restraint is the actual skill here.The best accent plans read as sparse in a drawing and correct once you are standing in front of the house after dark.
Accent lighting and everything else on the property
On most properties it works alongside other lighting. Landscape lighting handles the yard. Security lighting deals with the places that need to be seen. Roofline lighting takes care of the house itself. Accent lighting is the layer that adds intent.
One more thing about brightness
Output almost always ends up too high. Your eyes adapt, so a small amount of light reads as a lot. The goal is to draw attention, not to interrogate the shrubbery.
Two directions, two moods
Direction changes the whole character. Light from below is not how daylight works, and that is the effect. Downlighting comes from above, the way light normally does, so nobody notices the technique.
Accent lighting is not set and forget
Landscape accents are aimed at living things that keep changing. Growth blocks the throw, and ground level fixtures get knocked out of position. Nothing is broken. It simply needs adjusting. Re aiming every couple of seasons keeps the plan looking the way it was designed to.The test is unchanged: stand in the yard after dark. If a fixture is lighting mulch instead of the tree, it is a five minute adjustment.
Having a plan drawn
Accent lighting comes out of walking the property and choosing. EverCrest Lighting does accent lighting as part of a full outdoor lighting plan for homes and businesses across Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, from Greenville. Consultations are free. Call (864) 252-1732 or email
[email protected].