Your landscape is your refuge. It’s a place to escape to after long days where you can just take a deep breath and enjoy the scenery and sounds of birds chirping. You might even find yourself choosing to have your meal outdoors because you crave the freshly grilled flavor your outdoor kitchen produces, and you long to dine al fresco.
Here’s the tricky part though. You might enjoy spending time outside, but it can get quite tough to see what you’re doing once that sun begins to set.
The solution: landscape lighting. This simple addition can do wonders for extending the life of your landscape and your curb appeal simultaneously.
Sure, light is pretty powerful, and you might be interested in adding a little illumination to your evenings. But maybe you’re not sure how to engage a landscape lighting designer in the process to get the look you’re after.
We’re here to help with some guidance on the types of things you should be thinking about when it comes to landscape lighting.
The Top 3 Questions to Ask Your Landscape Lighting Designer
You might be thinking you should focus on fixtures and specific finishes when you’re considering landscape lighting in the Greater Chicago area.
But, in reality, focusing on just the fixtures is too singularly minded for a project that adds this much dimension to your landscape.
Here are the top questions you should consider asking yourself before you set up your landscape lighting design meeting to ensure you’re getting exactly what you need from this project.
1. What Do I Want Landscape Lighting To Do?
We know. This sounds like such a simple question. But it’s actually the most important part of landscape lighting.
It’s one thing to pick out lights and set them up in a row to add light to a pathway. But it’s a whole other approach when you actually design light to blend in seamlessly with your landscape, adding bits of brightness in the right areas without blinding you or your guests and without making your patio look like a landing strip. You always want to see the light, not the fixtures. After all, that’s the whole point of landscape lighting.
Focus for a moment on your specific desires when it comes to landscape lighting in the Greater Chicago area. This is your time to think selfishly to come to the right conclusions. What do you want that light to do for you? For instance, do you want to add some safety and security to entryways or walkways? Do you want to illuminate an outdoor entertainment area or kitchen so you can see what you’re doing? Do you want to set a mood or a feeling in some areas that adds ambiance or even romance?
Knowing what you want from landscape lighting can help your landscape lighting designer make the most of your installation.
2. What is My Personal Style?
As you contemplate landscape lighting, consider your personal style. Are your furnishings modern or contemporary in nature with clean lines and sharp edges? Or do you prefer more natural, earthy accents – accessories that blend in with the outdoors and seem as if they were placed there by Mother Nature herself?
The right landscape lighting designer near Elmhurst or Naperville, IL can merge your key purposes for landscaping lighting with your personal style to ensure you get ideal illumination that stands the test of time.
3. How Much Do I Want to Spend on Landscape Lighting?
Knowing your budget is another key factor you’ll want to share as you’re preparing to talk to your landscape lighting professional.
This way, he or she can match your style and needs with products that will offer you solutions within your price range.
3 Questions To Ask to Learn More About Your Landscape Lighting Professional
Now that you know what you want and how much you can spend, it’s time to learn more about the landscape lighting company you are hiring.
You want to ask these questions to learn more about them and what they can do to ensure they are a good fit for your needs.
4. What is Your Experience with Landscape Lighting Design?
You want to work with a landscape lighting professional who has experience working with light fixtures and has someone with an electrical background on their team to ensure the job is done right.
Hiring an inexperienced contractor or one without the right licensing can result in shoddy work that may not last and be expensive to fix later.
5. Do You Have a Portfolio of Finished Landscape Lighting Projects I Can See?
The ideal way to know if you’re going to like the work a landscape lighting company does is by looking at their past projects.
Most experienced landscape professionals in the Greater Chicago area will have extensive portfolios showcasing their work.
In addition to giving you inspiring ideas, you can also ask for references to speak to past clients and find out more about the company’s design chops and service performance.
6. What Type of Outdoor Lighting Ideas Do You Think Will Work Best For My Space?
Every home in the Elmhurst and Naperville, IL area is different. You may not share the same style or needs as your neighbor, for instance.
So, naturally, the best landscape lighting professional for you should be able to offer you some ideas that merge your vision, style, and desires together into cohesive landscape lighting design concepts. A thorough discussion and some options will help you best reach a solid approach that leaves nothing out.
Choosing the Best Landscape Lighting Professional For You
Sure, landscaping lighting design may seem a lot more involved than you first thought.
And for the best results, working with a seasoned professional is crucial. After all, landscape lighting is surely one of those projects that can give you the greatest return on your investment: additional hours of enjoyment outdoors and a major curb appeal boost.
As you’re exploring landscape lighting companies near Elmhurst and Naperville, IL, we’d love it if you would consider KD Landscape as well. We have experts on our team who design and install high-end landscape lighting that can give your yard just the right amount of illumination, as well as safety and security, you need.
Then all you have left to do is bask in the glow.
Ready to see how KD Landscape can help you enjoy your landscape beyond sunset? We’d love to share our design and installation expertise with you. Get started today with a free consultation. Together, we can prepare a landscape lighting plan that works best for you.
