The Lighting Warehouse: Light Out!

We are currently at the height of summer, and everybody is looking for ways to turn their outdoor areas into inviting extensions of their living spaces – a place where you can linger and enjoy the warm evening air, while sipping on a delicious glass of wine!

Says Melissa Davidson from The Lighting Warehouse: “There is no better way to increase the lure of your outdoor spaces than by ensuring that they are well lit. Not only will it up the aesthetics of these spaces, but it will also make them safer and more secure.”

Look at your outdoor areas where you will be entertaining and relaxing with friends and family – these are the most rewarding spaces to light up. “Well-lit patios, decks, balconies and pool surrounds can truly transform outdoors spaces and help you enjoy them more fully and for longer periods,” says Melissa.

Also, inspect your outdoor areas and work out the locations where people could harm themselves due to the terrain, advises Melissa: “Look for edges between surfaces, staircases, areas with varying or dramatic height differences, the edges of decks, and the like. These should all be lit to illuminate any potential hazards. Lastly, lighting is also a good way of maximising the security of your home – places like your front and back door, side gardens, driveways and paths for example, should all be very well lit.”

Melissa says that the trick to beautifully illuminated outdoor living areas is to direct the light just where you need it, and to light it up in layers: “Think about how the space will be used and plan the lighting design around that, while keeping in mind the importance of layered lighting – this is critical if you are to get the right effect and to be able to create various zones for different uses. Walllights, flood lights and lanterns are great options for general lighting, while spots are perfect for task lighting, and post lights, bollards and spheres are ideal for lighting up pathways and defining the borders of spaces.”

She says that The Lighting Warehouse has a wide variety of outdoor lighting options for you to choose from, and it has just introduced the following brand new lines to its already extensive outdoor lighting selection, including new copper outdoor lighting – a first for The Lighting Warehouse!

The Swivel single spot is now available in both black (R399,95) and copper (R479,95). The new Swivel Duo double spot is available in brushed chrome (R849,95).

For general lighting, up/down wall lights are ideal – they aim their lights up to the ceiling/sky and down to the floor, thereby avoiding any eye-level glare. Examples include the Bryanston in polished chrome (R799,95) and the Tubo in copper (R549,95. Other new walllights in the Lighting Warehouse range include the Amanzi round and the Amanzi cone glass wall lights (both R599,95 each), and then the very stylish Petronas (R599,00).

Wall lights are good for general and task lighting purposes as they give off a good amount of light. They are good solutions for illuminating entrances and exits, garden walls, as well as for around areas where you will be performing specific tasks, such as braaing, serving food, and so on. Examples of lantern-type wall lights include the Malo in copper (R899,95) and the Clynton in white (R649,95). Other newly launched wall lights include the Zanele – now in copper (R549,95), and the Lebo wall light in brushed chrome (R549,95),

Bollards remain an excellent way to light up pathways, staircases, and decks. Even better if your bollards are solar powered – no wiring and no electricity costs. You just place them in sunny spots in your outdoor space, let the sun charge the batteries by day, and hey presto, your bollards switch on automatically at night. The newly launched Solix range of solar bollards offer a gorgeously contemporary way of lighting up your garden – you can choose the 400mm-tall Solix solar bollard (R479,95), which is great for in-ground installation, or the 215mm-high Solix solar pedestal (R399,95), which is designed for installation on top of columns or walls.