Exterior lighting can be extremely versatile, and having the right fixtures in the right places can make your backyard or front porch more inviting. You also want your home to be secure, and having bright motion sensors or spotlights can deter trespassers and unwanted intruders. A question many homeowners ask is, “How bright should my outdoor lighting be?” You don’t want your pathway lights to be overpowering, but you want them to provide enough illumination after the sun sets. At Accent Lighting in Wichita, we can help you choose the best fixtures and bulbs for your home’s exterior.

Landscape Lighting

One of the prime focuses of any exterior design is the landscape lighting. These lights are meant to accent and highlight your home’s architecture, the design of your yard, and any foliage that has been installed. You want these lights to be bright enough to showcase the best features of your home, but not be so bright that they wash out colors and textures. A lumen output of 100 to 180 is a great choice for landscape lighting, and it’s important to consider how each light overlaps the others, and how many fixtures you have in a specific area. Our lighting experts can show you a variety of fixtures and help you choose the best options.

Security Lights

Every homeowner wants their house to be secure, and a great way to ensure safety is to install security and motion lights around the perimeter. You most likely have lights, such as your porch light, that are on a timer, but it can be beneficial to have lights with sensors that turn on with any movement. If someone enters your yard or a critter runs across your grass, these lights will illuminate and warn the intruder away. A light output of 700 to 1300 lumens is a good range for your security lights, and since these lights only turn on when you need them to, you won’t have to worry about wasted energy usage.

Choosing the Right Number of Lights

When thinking about how bright or dim your outdoor lighting should be, it’s important to think about the number of lights in any given area. By taking the measurements of a certain exterior space, such as your backyard patio, you can devise how many fixtures you need and how bright each bulb should be. It can also be smart to place your outdoor lights on dimming controls so you can precisely adjust the levels as needed. If you’re having trouble with the math associated with wattage, lumens, and number of fixtures, the team at Accent Lighting can help.

If you’re rethinking your home’s exterior lighting, or you’ve noticed that a certain spot of your front porch is darker than the others, come to our showroom today. We have an outstanding inventory of outdoor lighting options, and can help you decide on the best design and placement of your new lights. We’re proud to serve all of south central Kansas, and look forward to seeing you soon!