What the word actually means
The difference between accent lighting and general lighting is the question being asked. It is not coverage. Point it at one tree, one column, one entry and leave the rest alone. The dark part is not an oversight. It is doing the work.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
Not everything is improved by a fixture pointed at it. Anything with texture picks up light and shows it off, because light raking across a rough surface creates shadow and shadow creates interest. Smooth surfaces reflect light without doing anything with it. Form is the other thing to look for.
The most common mistake
Plans go wrong when the list grows. The homeowner likes the
https://evercrestlighting.com/contact/ first uplit tree and asks for a second, then the whole bed, then the driveway. Once everything is lit, nothing is emphasized, and the plan is just illumination. Restraint is the technique.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
Accent lighting rarely stands alone. Landscape lighting covers the beds, paths and trees more broadly. Security lighting deals with the places that need to be seen. Roofline lighting handles the building. It is what makes a plan look considered.
One more thing about brightness
Accent fixtures do not need to be bright. After dark the threshold is low, and overshooting looks harsh rather than impressive. You are creating a point of interest, not lighting a work area.
From below or from above
Direction is a mood decision. Light from below is inherently dramatic, and that is the effect. Downlighting from up in a tree or under a soffit imitates moonlight, so nobody notices the technique.
Plants grow. The aim drifts
Landscape accents are aimed at living things that keep changing. Growth blocks the throw, and mulch, mowing and weather move ground mounted units. It is not a fault, it is just how it works. Re aiming every couple of seasons keeps the plan looking the way it was designed to.The test is always the same: stand in the yard after dark. If a fixture is lighting mulch instead of the tree, it is a five minute adjustment.
Where to start
Accent lighting is decided at the property, after dark, by somebody looking at it. EverCrest Lighting installs accent lighting along with landscape, patio, security and permanent roofline systems for homes and businesses across Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, from Greenville. The consultation is free. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or
[email protected].