Summer evenings with friends and family in your backyard are made even better when the gathering takes place within a structure like a gazebo. A beautiful gazebo needs to be honored as an entertaining space with some beautiful lighting techniques that make your friends and family feel welcome. These lighting techniques will dramatically improve the spirit of your whole backyard as well. You can make a gazebo the focal point of your Port Washington, NY, entertaining space with these outdoor lighting techniques.
Light the Way
All of the walkable spaces to and from your gazebo should ideally be well illuminated. A path that’s full of dark spots or contrasting shadows could create an unwelcoming environment. During gatherings, you’ll quickly see how a well-illuminated and comfortable space will become the focus. Make the path feel safe with low-lying path lighting that focuses light energy on the ground.
Emphasize Warm Light
The best entertainment spaces are usually full of strong and consistent light that safely illuminates all corners of the area. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to light it up like a hospital’s operating room. Warm yellow light that’s easy on the eyes could be emphasized around your gazebo: Vintage-inspired light fixtures and/or bulbs are a great starting point. You likely want to stay away from the harshness of fluorescent or bright white LED lights as the design strategy for your relaxing space takes shape.
Focus on the Center
If you’ve got a table within your gazebo, it could be the focus of your lighting. This table or countertop could be illuminated using task lighting. The adjustability of these lights can fit any sort of mood or darkness level outside. Keep the lights inside out of direct eye contact. Plan your lights specifically to avoid the seating areas and focus them on the tables or counters where drinks, food, card games, and more will take place.
The Ambience of Fire Light
There are few features that can draw guests into an outdoor living space other than a fire feature. An outdoor fireplace along one side of the gazebo will provide warmth, but a substantial amount of ambient fire light as well. When it comes to lighting, your landscape experts can ensure that there is no competition with fire light—but that both sources of light complement each other. Overhead lights would not be close to the source of the fire but instead illuminate the structure of the outdoor fireplace so that when the fire is out, the fireplace remains a focal point—and light bouncing off it will provide some ambient light.
Let the Structure Glow
The structure of the gazebo itself will draw attention to the welcoming community inside. Overhead lights could be posted around the perimeter of the gazebo and focused at the ceiling. This will highlight all of the beauty of the wood grain in the ceiling and, as the light splashes backwards, it will create a substantial amount of ambient light. Outside the structure, the texture of the gazebo could become the focus, with angled lights across the rails and railings to highlight the textures of the outer surfaces and the shadows they create.
String Lights
Adding string lights within the structure of a gazebo for parties will automatically amp up the festive feel. However, plug-in lights don’t tend to last long, so don’t rely on them for permanent landscape lighting.
Related: HOW TO INCORPORATE OUTDOOR LIGHTING INTO 7 PATIO DESIGNS IN OYSTER BAY, NY AREA
