A Guide to Designing your Patio Lights
Love the idea of outdoor string lights but not sure where or how to hang them? Here is a list of my favorite setups with a few things to keep in mind about each design.
Who doesn’t love a nighttime dip in the backyard pool? Maybe you like sitting on the edge, dipping your feet, sipping your drink, and conversing about the day with your partner. Or perhaps you prefer diving straight in to cool off from a long, blistering day. Either way, you’ll need some light. String lights over your pool deck provide just the right amount of light: bright enough to avoid an accidental plunge, yet dim enough to create a welcoming, relaxing respite from life’s worries.
Just remember when thinking of different layouts for lights over or near the pool: don’t overdo it with strands. Keep the number of strands to a minimum so you don’t end up with too much light or block off your overhead space with a ceiling of bulbs. On the technical side, make sure that the lights are hung securely with metal cable and mounted high enough so no-one can touch the lights when jumping in.
Having friends over for dinner? It’s such a beautiful evening, why not dine outside? All you need are chairs, a table, and lights. Find 4 good mounting points and you can come up with multiple different patterns: outline, x-pattern, zig-zag, or a combination. These points do not have to be posts - a nearby tree or wall works great too. And you don’t have to find four points, however I do recommend 3-4, as this allows you to hang multiple strands and contrate them over the dining area. For extra control, consider a dimmer switch or plug controlled by hand or through your phone.
Covered decks are another great place to create functional ambient lighting with string lights. They can really compliment the warm colors of your brick, stone, or stained wood or add a warmth to white or lightly-stained surfaces. Don’t overcomplicate things with a distracting design here like criss-crossing or x-patterns. This is an already busy area with furniture, fans, and potentially a jacuuzi or fireplace. Your main purpose is just to light these other items. On the other hand, don’t oversimplify your design with too few strands, thus sacrificing light coverage. Evenly spaced parallel strands or zigzags can distribute light across the entire space without being too obnoxious.
If you’ve got a long, poorly-lit walkway, use string lights to add an inviting atmosphere to your backyard arrival. In fact, string lights here are your best option as spotlights are often more threatening than inviting and landscape lights alone won’t provide the coverage you’ll need to navigate. You also have much more liberty with designs here as your walkway is more than likely an open, empty space except for the landscaping. Consider whether you want to keep lights strictly over the walkway or incorporate an adjacent area such as a nearby hammock or fire pit. If you choose to incorporate a nearby area, but don’t want to overcomplicate or crowd your design, I suggest a zigzag pattern with one zig, or zag of course, running to a tree or post over that area.
Pergolas and verandas are another favorite spot to hang string lights. Even if your pergola or veranda has a central pendant light, string lights work great at spreading and evenly distributing ambient light. Any pattern looks amazing here.
Just for your viewing pleasure, here are a few other ideas for string light placement. Wherever you choose to hang lights, remember the following tips. Keep the pattern simple and/or repeatable. If you find that the lights are a bit too bright, consider a wired or plug-in dimmer. Just make sure the dimmer has a max amperage rating that exceeds the amps consumed by your lights. You can find dimmers controlled by an app or remote and most will also feature manual controls on the device. FYI, you can find a dimmer with a built-in timer so you don’t have bother turning on or off the lights. If you need to install a post, I reccommend a minimum 4”x4” wooden post or 2” square or round steel post. Make sure to bury the post between 12-24” and fill the hole with concrete for extra security. The last factor to keep in mind with your design is the power cord. You don’t want to hang a perfect design and have nowhere to hide the extension cord. As long as one end of the light strand ends at a post, tree, or house corner, you’ll have a great place to run the cord down and keep it out of sight.
String lights can be a quaint, inviting addition to your outdoor lighting. For function and aesthetic, really think about your design’s pattern and coverage. For a pleasant light color, I would suggest incandescent bulbs or led bulbs with a 2200 Kelvin rating to match the color of incandescents. To discuss lighting at your property, give us a call or shoot us message @liteupatlanta. Thanks!