There are many reasons to light the exterior of your home. Exterior lighting makes the area around your home safer. It helps deter people from breaking in, and it helps keep you from tripping over something on the ground if you're outside at night. But exterior lighting can also be really enhancing and add beauty to the rest of your space, too. Here are some particular types of exterior lights to consider if your goal is to add to the aesthetics of your yard.
Uplights for Trees
If you have a particularly nice tree in your yard, then you might want to call some attention to it with lighting. You can have a light installed under the tree to cast light upward. This can make the tree look like it is glowing. The light fixture itself can be small so it doesn't detract from the look of your yard in the daytime. This idea works well if you have a really nice flowering tree, like a crabapple or a lilac. Or, if you have several nice trees, you can light each one of them. Several uplights below trees may provide enough light to illuminate your whole yard.
Twinkle Lights
People think of tiny twinkle lights as being for the holidays. However, these lights can also be a good year-round choice if you want to add some snazzy accent lighting to your yard. You could hang them from the eaves of your home, or you could even hang them along the edge of a shed or outbuilding. Use white twinkle lights for a more subtle look, or opt for multi-colored lights if you'd rather create a more modern, artistic vibe. There are even twinkle lights you can throw over a shrub or a bush for a creative look.
Wall Sconces
Indoors, people often hang wall sconces to create some accent lighting. You can do the same on the exterior of your home. Have a couple of sconces added to the exterior wall of your home. The style that casts light upward tends to work well. Or, you could choose sconce lights that you can pair with a dimmer switch. Turn them on just a little to create a warm glow around your house.
Hopefully, these ideas have given you some inspiration for adding accent lights to the exterior of your home and your landscape. Talk to a lighting contractor if you'd like more input or assistance in determining the best way to add home structure lighting to your house.