One of the most enjoyable activities we can partake in during the summertime is a relaxing night spent outdoors on the patio. Kicking back with friends and family around food and drinks is something everyone enjoys, and it’s even better when you get the opportunity to host at your home.

However, nothing can derail an idyllic night outdoors like a wonky lighting setup. With the right lighting, your patio becomes the place to be, with just the right amount of illumination that highlights what you want. But the wrong lighting means you and your guests won’t be able to enjoy the time together like you’d hoped. Here are a few lighting tips for your patio from the lighting experts at Roman Electric!

Assess What Your Patio is Used for

The first step in lighting your patio is to figure out how you want your space to be used. Not every patio is built the same, and what makes one shine might make another look cramped and oversaturated.

Is your patio going to be more relaxed with a low-key environment centered around a fire pit? What about a livelier barbecue area where people can crank up the music and splash in the pool? The function of your patio is integral to figuring out the lighting setup, so get a rough idea of how you and your family are planning to use it before going all-in on lighting purchases.

Don’t Overdo It

Thanks to the lack of natural light, it doesn’t take much to highlight the areas of your patio that you want to show off. One of the biggest mistakes that some people make is thinking that they need a lot of artificial lights to effectively showcase their patio – but the opposite is true.

You won’t need much. In fact, with just a few types of lighting, your patio will sparkle and stand out. Here are a few types of patio lighting that you can choose from, although the list isn’t exhaustive by any means:

• Footpath lighting
• Floodlights
• String lights
• Luau lights
• Light coming from fire in a fire pit
• Lanterns

Pick a couple of these lighting types and space them out to work in tandem to create an ideal patio lighting setup.

Style, Substance or Both?

But again, you’ll need to keep in mind how you plan to use your patio. If it’s going to see a lot of foot traffic – perhaps in a home with lots of small children that could find their way out there – then you’ll want to avoid delicate lighting setups that wayward visitors could stumble into.

But if you’re just setting up for a peaceful getaway with a few friends, then you can go with a more elaborate setup. Just plan ahead and take your future situation into account before you invest in something that will need adjusting soon.

Roman Electric: Your Outdoor Lighting Pros

No matter what your lighting situation is – whether you’re thinking about investing in a patio for the first time or just need some advice on how to tweak your current lighting setup – Roman Electric can help! Let our trained experts make sure everything will go smoothly, and give us a call at 414-369-3798!