5 Common LAndscape Lighting Mistakes to avoid as a Knoxville Homeowner
Good landscape lighting can totally transform your yard. It adds style, improves safety, and lets you enjoy your outdoor space long after the sun goes down. But when it’s done wrong, it can be more frustrating than functional. We’ve seen a lot of lighting setups over the years, and some of these common mistakes can really dim the vibe (pun intended).
If you’re thinking about updating your outdoor lighting this summer, here are five landscape lighting mistakes to avoid, so you can get it right the first time.
1. Going Overboard With The brightness
It’s tempting to light everything up like Neyland Stadium, but too much light can actually ruin the atmosphere. Over-lighting your yard makes it feel harsh and uninviting, and it can even mess with your neighbors’ view of the night sky. Aim for a soft, layered look with varying intensities. A few well-placed, low-voltage lights will do way more for your yard than a floodlight on every corner. Proper intensities will draw your eye across the landscape and draw attention to the most interesting areas of the yard. Even dark areas and shadowing add interest to the design.
2. Poor Placement That leaves everything in the dark (or creates glare)
Where you place your lights matters just as much as what kind you use. One common mistake? Putting lights too high or too low, which can leave important areas in shadow or create blinding glare. Path lights should gently illuminate the walkway, not your guests’ eyes. And spotlights should highlight features like trees or architectural details without washing everything out. When installing, “hiding the source” of the light and only seeing its impact makes for a professional look. A little planning goes a long way.
Dive deeper: Landscape Lighting Placements
3. Forgetting about function
Looks are important, but outdoor lighting should also help you get around safely. We’ve seen beautiful setups that totally forgot to light steps, slopes, or transition areas, aka the places where you’re most likely to trip. Make sure your lighting plan includes all the spots where people walk or gather. This will not only increase safety, but also encourage guests to venture down the path. Your future self (and your guests) will thank you.
4. Using the wrong type of fixture
Not all lights are made for the outdoors. Indoor fixtures, cheap solar lights that fade fast, or anything not designed to handle Knoxville’s humidity and storms just won’t hold up. Make sure you’re using weatherproof fixtures rated for outdoor use. It’ll save you from replacing lights every year. Likewise, we see many homeowners and designers using uplights rather than wash lights (or vise versa). Using the proper fixture will lead to a polished end result.
5. Skipping a landscape lighting plan
This might be the biggest mistake of all. It’s easy to buy a few lights and start placing them wherever looks good in the moment, but without a plan, things can end up looking random or uneven. A thoughtful lighting design helps everything work together. If you’re not sure where to start, that’s where a professional (like us!) can help bring the vision to life. We are experienced at creating customized plans for our clients, contact us to learn more.
Dive deeper: The Limelight Landscape Lighting Process
Whether you’re doing a full outdoor makeover or just adding a few lights to your backyard, we’re here to help Knoxville homeowners design landscape lighting that’s functional, stylish, and built to last years. Let’s chat about your space and come up with a plan that works!