February 7, 2023

Focal Points – How to Choose the Best Focal Points in Your Outdoor Lighting

Resources
Blog Post
Paolo Luciano

System Designer

The focal points of your landscaping will be those plants, elements, and structural pieces that you want to draw attention to at night.

Accentuate the Artistic

Lighting up those focal points around your home that are unique, like a fountain or outdoor sculpture, is a great way to boost your home’s overall look. These artistic pieces are usually quite special, making it even more important to light them up at night for more enjoyment. There is no reason why an artistic piece should ever be left in the dark. Adding light to these elements often changes their overall look and effect as well.

Installed in Briarcliff, NY. Art installations provide the perfect focal point for visitors and family to enjoy at night. When used tastefully, lighting can provide new color, angles, and shadow effects to bring out a new experience for your loved ones to enjoy.


Create Destinations within Your Space

Many homeowners who invest in landscaping and outdoor lighting also have an expansive outdoor living area with multiple sub-spaces. We use various lighting techniques to help accentuate these communal places. Well lit outdoor living areas are often used to host dinner parties or enjoy a drink with the family after work. Choosing to draw attention to these areas as an outdoor focal point allows you to pull double duty in illuminating the space on a practical level.

Installed in Greenwich, CT. This Koi pond is the perfect "destination" for family members to look forward to after a stressful day at work. Lighting here was used to accent the pond itself, while providing a softer space for contemplation or reading.


Be Bold with Boundaries

A few well-placed lights here and there around the boundary of your yard can help complete the overall appearance of your property. Uplighting a large tree at the back corner can broaden the expanse and space included within your yard. Adding lights to a gate or entryway can also prove to be extremely helpful in keeping your property secure.

Installed in Scarsdale, NY. Creating a sense of size to our client's newly built pool are, bringing out the texture of the natural stone wall, and creating a sense of majesty with the larger trees atop the wall all went into the thought process of installing tasteful and practical focal point lighting.


Focus on Specimen Trees

Showcasing the beautiful trees in your yard is often a great way to elevate your landscaping. Without lighting, trees are easily missed at night, leaving large dark spots in areas around your home. Deciduous trees are those that change throughout the year depending on the season, providing a wonderful change in color throughout the year. In the spring, they will feature beautiful buds and delicate flowers, while the summer will showcase full foliage. Come fall and winter, the tree will change again, which helps create an interesting focal point around your home no matter what time of year.

Installed in Dobbs Ferry, NY. This red maple creates a beautiful rush of color in the Fall, with bursts of red "pods" in the Spring time, growing into a lush green throughout the Summer.

LEAD DESIGNER


See Other Projects

Take a look at the other projects in the portfolio

Project and Designer Honored With Designer Spotlight by International Landscape Lighting Institute

Project and Designer Honored With Designer Spotlight by International Landscape Lighting Institute

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5 Things to Know About Uplighting

Westchester Dream Home

Westchester Dream Home

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