Landscape lighting: what actually gets used after dark

Lighting is the cheapest thing that doubles how much a backyard gets used, and the easiest to overdo.

Light surfaces, not eyes

The goal is to see the space, not the fixtures. Wash a wall, graze a stone face, light the treads of steps from the side. If you can see the bulb from the patio chair, it is aimed wrong.

Where it matters most

• Steps and grade changes — safety first
• Retaining walls, which take light beautifully across their texture
• One or two specimen trees, uplit, for depth at the back of the yard
• The path from the driveway to the door

Avoid the runway

Evenly spaced path lights down both sides of a walkway is the most common mistake. Stagger them, use fewer, and let the pools of light overlap loosely.

Why low voltage

Safer to work around, far easier to extend later, and the fixtures are simple to re-aim after a winter of frost. Conduit and a transformer installed during the build cost very little; retrofitting later means cutting into finished surfaces.

Outdoor living