03 Mar Why do I need so many Garden lights?
By Mike Gambino
Beside cost this is probably the single most asked question and or objection I have received over the years from prospects who are interested in lighting their gardens. Our intent is not to recreate daytime conditions or what some people call creating “Disneyland”. Ironically if you have been to Disneyland recently you would probably agree that there are many areas of the park that are pretty insufficiently illuminated after dark. But the idea is that its going to look somewhat amusement park lit with fixtures and light sources prominently displayed in the landscape.
The truth and fact is that our intent is quite the opposite. The beauty of the lighted garden is enhanced by having many light sources while concealing the lamp itself from view. These lights located in unexpected places expose new charm and beauty that would not ordinarily be noticed or seen at night. With proper lighting you only see what you wish to see and the rest is left in shadow.
We do not attempt to create a daytime condition generally throughout the entire landscape but work hard to bring out desired effects using permanently installed robustly built and easily concealable units. The light source is made practically invisible and by confining the light to small beams of light which light small areas alone, very interesting effects can be created.
Placing one or two light sources in front or to the sides of the lighted subject when multiple sources are required results in a less than desirable result. It makes the subject lack depth, beauty and interest and its easily noticeable. It really makes the difference between an attractive successful lighting system and one that is not so much so.
Look through your neighborhood or any neighborhood for that matter and there are plenty of these projects to be found.
There are a few reasons why this happens.
1- Homeowner does not want to dedicate the funds and budget it will take to do the job thoroughly.
2- Service provider is inexperienced or not creative and does not suggest the proper amount of fixtures it will take because they may know any better.
3- Service provider is too timid to make the recommendation because they have lost jobs in the past because of the increased cost to specify a proper job.
4- Service provider is talked into a lower budget by client and in return must reduce equipment costs and the first thing that gets scaled back on which will directly effect the quality of the project.
So what do you do if your budget doesn’t allow for the entire property to be effectively illuminated at once?
Zone the installation. Start with areas of most importance and do those first. Then when budget permits in the future other areas or pieces of the puzzle can be added until the project is complete.
Most reputable lighting designers will work with you that way. It is their goal to have a great looking project and a happy client.
This landscape lighting blog is published by Mike Gambino of Gambino landscape lighting inc. all rights reserved. Mike is a professional landscape lighting system designer/ builder and has been designing, installing and maintaining landscape lighting systems for more than 20 years. Mike resides in the Los Angeles area with his wife and 2 sons. To visit his website go to www.gambinolighting.com . To inquire about hiring Mike please click here .
Blog articles may be published with permission on other websites without editing or removing links.
No Comments