The Beginner's Guide to Outdoor Lighting
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Great lighting is no accident. In fact, some careers are built around choosing the most flattering light to set a mood or highlight a feature. With that said, you don't need to be a professional to set up your own outdoor lighting — you just need to know a few basic principles and have a variety of lighting options in your repertoire.
First, it's helpful to have some top-level knowledge about lumens and temperature. Lumens refer to the amount of light given off by its source; the higher the number of lumens, the brighter the light. (For instance, a street light might have 12,000 lumens, while a candle has only 14.)
Then there's temperature, which refers to how warm or cool a bulb's light is. Without getting too technical, warm white has a lower temperature — typically around 2700k — and light goes from neutral to cool as that number goes higher. Why does this matter? Well, if you're hosting guests on your patio, you probably don't want them to feel like they're sitting under a flood light. Taking a moment to look at these details will help you create whatever feel you're going for.
Once you've got those details down, it's time to design your outdoor-lighting setup. There's no one-size-fits-all solution; someone who lives in a city apartment with a balcony has different lighting needs than a family living in the country.
Generally, though, it helps to think of your outdoor space as a room. What kind of mood do you want to set? What function does the outdoor space serve? These questions can steer you toward lighting options that make sense for your style, needs, and budget — and naturally, you'll find tons of those at Bed Bath & Beyond.
Ahead, we've highlighted a few different lighting types that can help you design your outdoor setup. Read on to see which kinds of lights you might need, along with product suggestions that will help you shine.
