We recently ripped out all of the bushes in the two beds along the foundation. We are going to replant in April/May. We decided we would like to do some low voltage throughout the front and eventually the back. We currently have four 120v pagoda style lights which look fairly old. At this point kinda confused on even where to start. Do we keep the 120 and mix in low voltage, or is it best to remove the 120v lights? Also we can slowly add stuff it doesn’t all have to be done at once. Thanks in advance for your help.
Beautiful home! Regarding the 120V pagoda lights, if it were my home and I was planning on converting a low-voltage system I'd likely remove them. As far as lighting recommendations, what kind of lighting design are you searching for? Any specific features you want illuminated? Illumination on the home? Also, if you're redoing the garden beds, this could alter recommendations for those areas (I'd still more than likely recommend path & area lights in the garden beds and along the pathway - we also have a similar pagoda style light: VOLT® Premier Pagoda Brass Path Light. For the trees, uplighting would still more than likely be most ideal.
Thank you! we are adding a ruby redfalls weeping redbud tree on one side and a hydrangea tree on the other. The rest of the garden beds will remain the same with perennials. Would you do uplighting on this house or just stick to the pathway area lights for now? If I am doing the front and back with lighting (about a quarter or an acre) on one transformer is my best bet the 300watt slimline? Or is it better to use two transformers? I am going to put it in my shed in the backyard.
Uplighting is the most common approach - typically the easiest to install with beautiful results possible as well. A combination of uplighting and pathlighing is the most common type of project and gives If it were my home, I'd likely consider (2) lamp-ready spotlights, one placed on either side of the front door between the large windows. Applying a grazing effect could help avoid too much illumination from entering the home at night or glare/reflection off the windows - this would mean placing the fixtures within 12" of the wall. 3 or 5W MR16 bulbs (preferential to brightness you desire), wide beam spreads (110 degree ideally), 2700K color temp is most common (warm white). Path lights could be installed in a similar manner as the ones you currently have. Any of our classic led path lights could look beautiful - ideal spacing would be dependent on the hat style you chose which would determine the diameter of illumination. 300W will more than likely provide enough power to illuminate your front and back yard given the low wattages for LEDs. 2 transformers would be ideal if you couldn't install the single 300W in an area where all of the wire runs stay within 300ft of the unit, or if you simply desired zone control abilities over the front and back yard.
