Looking for advice before selection of fixtures/bulbs. Notes: Property lines are shown in yellow Photos numbered 1 - 8 read left to right in that order. We're at the end of a cul-de-sac and have a 30' street light (called out in pic 8) that casts a wide lighting net, especially on right side of yard onto lawn hedge Oak tree canopy and somewhat onto the house. The way the sun in the picture shows shadowing actually matches the effect pretty well We have a gas lantern that throws a moderate amount of neutral to cooler light out (dual silk mantle type) underneath the right side Oak tree. Looking for a classic "stately" lighting look. For the house/brick: 2700k or 3000k? 2W vs 5W vs 7W? Angle spreads and placement recommendations? For the landscape: Best lighting for the 2 Oak trees? Especially the one on the right. We're planning on losing the one on the left one day. General Placements/Angles/Warmth/Wattage ideas? Should I light the Far Right hedge? Any issues with part (half) of it getting street light lighting onto it? Interested in path lighting as it makes sense for the front door walkway as well as a stepping stone path that winds it's way around right side Oak tree to fence gate. We have a lawn service and they are not super attentive as it is with sprinkler heads, so need to be mindful of fixture placements for that reason . Thanks in advance for any help/ideas!!!
Lovely home you have, platipus. It sounds like you have some interesting and unique challenges but nothing insurmountable. First, there isn't any one ideal lighting plan. A lot of decisions you'll make come down to personal preference. If you're doing this yourself, I think you'll find that a fair amount of trial and error is involved also. You'll try some ideas that you might not find too exciting and then eventually you'll settle on effects that dazzle you.I initially worried about a street light near my home ruining the effects of my lighting but after a while, I stopped worrying and just focused on illuminating the areas of my property that weren't impacted by the light. In my own lighting plan, I'm using all 2W fixtures. The lights on my house are all 2700K. Path lights and fixtures lighting foliage are all 3000K. I like the crispness that 3000K brings to my trees and shrubbery. I can't really explain it but to my eyes, the colors look more natural and saturated than they do with 2700K lamps. I have a red brick colonial single family home. On my house (especially on my columns), I thought 3000K looked a bit sterile on the red brick and on white columns on my portico. The 2700K just makes the house look warmer, softer, and more welcoming. You might find that 3000K works great with the color of the bricks, shutters, and trim. I'm not entirely sure what you mean by classic but given your concern about lawn service possibly damaging your fixtures, I would seriously consider a lighting plan that emphasizes down lights. With the amazing tree cover you have, you could create an enchanting light scene by installing down lights high up in some of those trees. In the same vein, you could take advantage of the trees framing your house by installing soffit lighting to graze or wash the walls of your home and the foundation plantings with light. I love the idea of illuminating the hedge. Depending on the effect you're looking for, you could front light the hedge with floodlights or spots with wide beams or you could create dappled light by, again, mounting lights up high in some of your trees. For your address numbers, there are several different mini spotlight models on Volt's site that should help you achieve the results you have in mind. You'll probably need a riser to bring the fixture up high enough to aim it properly. Obvious places for path lights include the stepping stone path, transitions along the sidewalk, and the greenery and plantings beneath the trees. So I haven't addressed all of your questions, probably but hopefully I've given you a place to start.
Thanks for the feedback, this is helpful. The 2700k for the house is what I was thinking too from reading, but nice to have validation. Was not sure for the landscape. I will look at 3000k for that. I really am curious about the hedge. I did a bunch of Google image searching and have been unable to find any lighting examples of a flat straight trimmed hedge like we have. The Oak tree is less of a concern for the lawn crew because we had a planter bed put in under it with Jasmine. They stay out of that. The bigger concern would be the hedge and anywhere there is lawn or a lawn edge where we might place a light. Again many thanks!! plat
