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The right light can make evening hours safer and more enjoyable, says the American Lighting Association. Whether for poolside parties or barbecues with neighbors, make your outdoors more beautiful and pleasant with these tips:
1. Improve navigation. Lighting is typically layered into a room or outdoor space in three ways: overhead, task and ambient. Even outdoors –– where there are no typical boundaries and borders –– those three layers are necessary. Outdoor overhead lighting is important for visibility of steps, paths and walking surfaces.
2. Enhance security. To improve visibility and security, combine a motion detector with a sconce to illuminate dark corners or areas near entrances, says David Kitts, a designer with Hubbardton Forge in Castleton, Vermont.
3. Reduce glare. Light along paths should be cast downward, with fixtures such as Dark Sky-compliant versions that are hooded. A variety of lighting options will create layers, allowing you to add or subtract as necessary. If appropriate, exterior-safe dimmers can also provide flexible control over the level of light, as can moveable fixtures that can be added to a patio or porch as needed.
-- ARA
