Plan A Little Sparkle for Your Outdoor Party!
With the promise of warm weather fun, there’s bound to be an occasion or two ahead. Come with me. I’ll show you how to dress your outdoor space with lighting that will keep your festivities sparkling long after the sun has gone down!
The first thing to do is establish where the real party is going on!
That’s right. Set the stage underneath a gorgeous chandelier or pendant.
Canadian House & Home via Follow Studio Blog
And remember, feature overhead lighting needs more than just its looks. It needs a little help from its friends.
Adding a mirror is lighting’s best friend!
It helps double the light and bounce it around, adding another layer of sparkle to your space.
In this case, a backdrop of mirrored mullion doors demands some attention from the peeps in your crowd.
But notice the corners? They are already quite dark in broad daylight, and when the sun goes down, the corners will fade away completely.
So remember to introduce a touch of lighting in your corners, and with these cedar shrubs, twinkling mini lights are an elegant, easy fix.
But you can also try other options like backlighting, down lighting, spotlighting or…
Here you see the use of uplighting.
That’s lighting placed at ground level and aimed upward to highlight an area or object. Drama is added to this space with the uplighting actually framing a wall mounted fireplace.
And that’s another tip to keep in mind.
When you’re entertaining outdoors, think about placing a few light sources at eye level. That’s from standing of course!
The glow of the light will be cast through your space where you most need it, but not in an imposing kind of way.
One last thing…
Never overlook a table lamp in your outdoor decor!
Afterall, you are bringing the inside out to entertain, aren’t you?
Just remember these basics:
- Establish center stage with a showstopper chandelier or pendant
- Define your perimeter and corners with a little up, down, spot, or backlighting
- Layer your lighting by varying the heights of placement
- Turn them on as the sun goes down!!!
Oh, and don’t forget to feature some lighting on your table… candlelight is usually the favored option, and if you are concerned about safety, you can always go with flameless candles that are battery operated instead. And did you notice the string lighting against the arbor ceiling? See how it spans the party area, and is placed above the center pendant? This is an example of defining your perimeters, and layering your lighting!
I thought you might like to try a little DIY project to help you get started.
Want to make a solar powered chandelier?
This one was made by Pam over at Simple Details blog. Thanks for sharing your great step-by-step tutorial with us, Pam!
If you have a minute, you might want to stop by. Pam’s blog is loaded with great ideas!
Happy entertaining with inside style on the outside!
Thanks for stopping by!
Photographs courtesy of linked sources.
I love all your great ideas an outdoor gathering – especially in regards to lighting. That’s not something we often think of when outdoors, but so important!
It’s all in the little details 🙂 Some great ideas you have gathered up Sheila!
I’m adding Italian string lights to my backyard in a few weeks – they add so much warmth! Looking forward to outdoor entertaining. 🙂
like the idea of making the backyard livable
I cannot wait for the warm weather so I can do a party in the yard!! Love all these suggestions Sheila!
You and I are so in sync today! Love the inspiration photos!
That’s what I want to do !!!!!! A flower box underneath my window on our garage. I do believe I would love to hang a chandelier somewhere too. I think light is such an important part of outdoor living because it sets the mood and ambiance. Can’t wait to be invited over to your backyard one day soon! Have a great weekend, Sheila!
Thanks Sheila – I need to start planning our outdoor space soon and I love your lighting inspiration!!
Thanks for all the great tips! I’m so looking forward to summer and creating a little outdoor space this year.