In this article, we will be discussing some of the newest trends in landscape lighting — focusing on fixtures and customer control.
No, I’m not talking about the AC/DC song that we used to rock out to as youngsters. Hopefully, we’re still rocking out to that today!
A new trend in fixture color is flat black or a black gunmetal look. It’s funny how history repeats itself. When Bill Locklin invented 12V lighting back in the 1950s, the fixtures were usually flat black, or in some cases, avocado green. Black has seemed to make its way back as a very popular color for fixtures. Many new architectural accents at home are in this black color or a very dark bronze.
Having fixtures in this black color makes it easier to hide them in the landscape. This makes our mantra of seeing the light and not the source of the light much easier to obtain. Black fixtures seem to disappear in the landscape and allow the lighting effects to glorify a property. Most manufacturers now have a black product offering to suit your customers’ needs.
“Customers seem to want a little bit more control over their system than we have seen in the past. … We must always evaluate the level of technology that our customers need.
A new trend for the high-tech contractor is the use of more — but smaller — fixtures. The use of smaller fixtures allows for greater detail in lighting effects across a property. Lighting the facets of the home with smaller fixtures and fewer lumens seems to be a very popular way of installing landscape lights.
Just like using the black fixtures, these smaller fixtures allow you to hide them in very inconspicuous places. Many of these smaller fixtures can be directly installed into concrete or into wood beams, walls, steps or other more discreet areas.
Designing a lighting system with these fixtures can be rather exciting. You can make your customers’ property look like very expensive jewelry. Some of these fixtures are made with integrated LED light sources with exchangeable lenses. Some allow you to use very small lamps, such as MR-11s or MR-8s, to provide the correct lighting. Most manufacturers have made a line of smaller fixtures for you to choose from.
Bollards are becoming very popular to add an artistic effect to landscape lighting systems.
Many of these bollards have the light source mounted at the very top of the fixture and illuminate downward, often including beautiful cutouts in the bollard itself. This casts shadows on the ground in the distinct pattern of the cutout. When used along a path or a driveway, bollards project a magical effect on the ground that is very pleasing to the eye. These can also be used in garden areas to allow your eye to be drawn to them. Many manufacturers will allow you to choose your own design pattern, making it into a special custom unit just for your customer.
Indirect lighting bollards are also becoming very popular. These will use a projection light source coming from the bottom and allowing the light to pass through a translucent lens. The light refracts through the lens, allowing you to see a light source without being so harsh on your eyes. Many times, these bollards are compatible with a color-changing light source for an added effect. Using these bollards can allow you to signify directional changes on a driveway or path.
Customers seem to want a little bit more control over their system than we have seen in the past. That’s not to say that the regular timer and photocells do not still have their places. We must always evaluate the level of technology that our customers need.
Zone control seems to be more popular than ever. There are zoning transformers, as well as standalone zoning switches that will allow one to control any brand of transformers. Zoning transformers are usually a three-zone unit; this will allow you to divide 300W between three separate zones. Stand-alone units are usually four zones, which in most cases can handle up to 200W per zone. These products are mostly controlled by Wi-Fi on an app. Both will allow you to do astronomical timing on each zone, as well as daily schedules.
These are perfect for a contractor who wants independent control of the front yard and backyard of a property, while still using only one transformer. These zoning controllers can also allow you to create different light levels on a property. For instance, if you had cypress trees in the background, you could control those to come on Zone One, to create a perimeter. You could also have other areas scheduled at different times to create separate effects.
I encourage you to investigate all these products and use them in your designs.
